


In a Hail of Bullets

by rc0ncan



Series: Mafia Frerard [1]
Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Bottom Gerard Way, Frerard, Italian Mafia, M/M, Smut, Top Frank Iero
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:13:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 23,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22738744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rc0ncan/pseuds/rc0ncan
Summary: 21 year old Gerard has a near perfect life. He has a loving and accepting father, his own apartment, an impressive art portfolio and even a short tattooed secret boyfriend. But when he is thrown into the middle of a mafia war he never knew existed, he begins questions everything he has ever known and could lose everything he's ever loved.Triggers: violence, strong language, derogatory names.**Also on my Wattpad under AspynEmilie :)
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Series: Mafia Frerard [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634962
Comments: 9
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic and the sequel are my most popular stories on Wattpad with over 2,000+ reads. enjoy!

In this story, Frank is 30 & Gee is 21. Enjoy :)

Gerard grabbed grocery bags from his passenger seat as he jogged from his car into the side door of his father's house. It had started raining lightly when he pulled up, and he wasn't a big fan of getting wet. Every Thursday Gerard and his father shared a homemade dinner of pasta that they cooked together. Ever since Gerard's mother died when he was a small child, John tried his best to keep his son sheltered yet living a normal life.

John Castellaneta was a Don to the Castellaneta Crime Family. He stole, laundered and murdered outside the walls of his mansion, but inside he was a wonderful husband and father.

When Gerard was first born, Donna begged John not to give him John's last name. "It will forever link him to the mob" she would say. John wanted Gerard to find his own path, and he prayed every night it wouldn't be in the mafia world. Don't get him wrong, John loved his job and what he did, but he understood the dangers. He didn't care if he lived or died but he cared if his wife or son paid the price for his sins. That's why he agreed to give Gerard Donna's last name of Way.

Tonight was the night that John would let the housekeepers and chef off for the evening while the father and son cooked and cleaned up together. These weekly meals became even more important to John when Gerard moved out a year ago.

Of course being the son of a mafia don meant John wouldn't let Gerard move into a place unless he fully inspected it. Inspected meaning he paid someone off on the security team to keep an extra close eye on Gerard and if something fishy was happening, he would alert John and his men right away. John wanted to take every precaution to not only protect Gerard but protect his innocence as well. A young twink like him could fall to a predator so easily.

John accepted Gerard with nothing but love and compassion when he came out as gay and when he said he wanted to do art for a living. Whatever made Gerard happy made John happy. Unfortunately for Gerard the only thing John wouldn't accept is his son finding love. At least not now. John always hoped he would set Gerard up with one of his men. Someone he trusted and knew well, but so far they were either married or not what John would want in a son in law.

But tonight, Gerard was going to share the news about his boyfriend. He had been dating Frank in secret for almost a year and he was truly in love with him. Although he didn't know much about Frank's personal life, he was very affectionate and made Gerard feel like a king. They met one night at a bar and Gerard was smitten ever since, but it was Frank that pursued him so relentlessly. Frank wined and dined Gerard, taking him to fancy restaurants and front rows of sold out concerts. Frank never pushed Gerard into anything he was uncomfortable with, he always respected that. After seven months of dating, Gerard begged Frank to have a more physical relationship. After asking over and over if he was sure and that once they did they couldn't take it back, Frank laid Gerard down on his black satin sheets and kissed him deeply and slowly, while taking the boy in every possible way he could. That night was the first night Gerard stayed over at Frank's apartment and as he fell asleep in Frank's arms, Frank knew he could never let this man go.

That obviously Gerard wouldn't share with his father but he wanted him to hear all about the man that made Gerard's heart soar. That, and Frank was so persistent to meet Gerard's father. Frank's parents died years ago and he was anxious to meet his beautiful boyfriends father.

Gerard didn't see John right away when he came in the side door but that wasn't unusual. This was the furthest from Johns office besides the bedrooms so maybe he didn't hear him come in. As Gerard waited, he started unpacking their ingredients. Setting everything out, he thought he heard a thud. Gerard silenced his movements to get a better listen. It almost sounded like ... like muffled yelling.

Gerard decided to check and see if maybe his father knocked something off the wall or was watching some loud movie. They were far fetched ideas, but substantially more plausible than what he would find.

Once he turned the corner to the long hall that had Johns office, the door suddenly flung open, freezing him in his place. What he saw scared him even more than the sudden startling noise. His father, sat on the floor in front of his desk, his hands bound in front of him and what looked like blood coming out of his nose. He was looking up at a large brutish man who stood in the doorway.

"We've warned you Castellaneta, you better cough up the dough or we'll paint your office walls red" the large blonde man growled. John and the stranger stared at each other in an intense stand off until his eyes flicked next to the large man's thigh where he saw Gerard. His eyes tripled in size and his face went white. The stranger must have noticed this because he turned around quickly to face Gerard.

His dark scowl turned into an evil smirk as he looked the boy up and down.

"Well hey angel" he cooed in a sickly sweet voice. "Are you lost?" As the stranger took a step towards Gerard, he was frozen into place, his panic only growing when three other strangers slowly walked out behind him. These weren't his fathers _friends_ as he would call them. They were scary and might hurt his father. As the stranger took another step towards Gerard, a surge of adrenaline kicked him into gear and he turned to run to the nearest opening, which was the stair case.

He ran as fast as he could, hearing heavy footsteps following him. Once in his old bedroom, he slammed the door shut and locked it with the overly excessive lock John insisted he have when he lived at home. Gerard backed away from the door as he heard banging against it, like someone was throwing all their weight into it. He could tell the lock wasn't going to hold long, and he needed a way out.

Gerard wanted to call Frank and beg him to come to the rescue. And he knew he would have if Gerard didn't stupidly leave his phone on the counter. Fuck. He needed to get out and hide until these men left. Pushing his window open, he crawled out just as his bedroom door started to give.

He was on the second floor, it couldn't be that far of a drop. There was a small roof of the sun room below that he stepped out on and was maybe another ten or twelve feet to the ground. He could do it. He peered over the edge trying to get his courage up until he turned to see the blonde stranger trying to pry open the window and get to Gerard. If he was going to jump, he needed to do it now.

He jumped off and tried to land in the grass on his feet, but as his feet touched the ground, his knees buckled under his weight and he was thrown backwards, hitting his head on the ground, hard. He wasn't knocked unconscious but Gerard was definitely seeing stars. Once his vision wasn't quadruple anymore and he could focus again, he realized he was looking directly at the blonde stranger, a curly haired stranger and a dark haired stranger, all smirking down at him.

"Hello again, princess" the blonde sneered, as the curly headed man held up a roll of duct tape.


	2. Chapter 2

After his hands were bound in front just like his father's, he was hauled back in the house. Once John saw that they did in fact catch Gerard, his eyes went wild with panic and fury.

"You better let him go this instant" John growled lowly, his eyes shading to a very dark, very scary hue that Gerard had never seen.

"Who is this boy to you?" The curly headed man inquired. "If he was just another one of your henchman you wouldn't be looking at me like you're about to rip my head off".

"He's a ... friend" John spit through ground teeth. He was desperate that they not find out about Gerard's identity. Then he could send Gerard away for a while until this blew over, keeping his beloved son safe. But just as John thought he was making headway, a slow smirk spread across the curly haired mans face.

"You know, Johnny, this boy looks an awful lot like that lovely wife you had".

John couldn't even respond. It took a few moments for the other men in the room to catch on to what he was saying, and they all mirrored the same smirk.

"Well fuck, John. I didn't know you had yourself such gorgeous son ... with such a pretty ass" the blonde said happily as he squeezed Gerard's right ass cheek. Gerard nearly jumped a foot and tears started to well in his eyes.

"Y-y-you'd better n-n-not" he stammered, "o-or my b-b-boyfriend will g-g-get you". John looked surprised at that statement but figured if it helped then why not lie to these men.

"Don't worry honey" the blonde whispered into Gerard's ear. "He won't find us to be able to do anything about it".

Gerard shivered at the thought of what these men could potentially do to him. If he ever got free how would he explain to Frank that he wasn't the only man that Gerard had ever laid with. Frank would think he was unclean and leave him. He couldn't let this happen.

"P-please just let m-m-me go" he sobbed. The dark haired man grabbed the tape out of the curly haired mans hands and ripped a piece off.

"Talking time is over, princess" he said as he smoothed the tape over Gerard's lips, effectively silencing him. "I think the Don will like this one" he spoke again.

As the men moved to start pulling Gerard towards the front door, John tried standing up in protest. Gerard saw in the corner of his eye before he was yanked hard the other direction, that the curly haired man had thrown his father back to the ground.

"Seven days, Castellaneta. Seven days to get my boss what is his, or you will never see your little boy alive" he growled, straightening up and following behind Gerard.

———————————————————————————

Gerard was shoved into a large black SUV seated between the curly haired man and the dark haired man. He hated it but felt oddly safe away from that blonde guy. He scared Gerard. The tears wouldn't stop and he was having trouble catching his breath through his nose. _Maybe I'll pass out _Gerard thought, _then I won't have to endear what they have planned for me_.

After what seemed like forever, they pulled up to an iron gate with a large I in the center. After a security man opened the gate and waved them in, they followed down a long winding driveway and up to a large white mansion. His fear was temporarily forgotten as he took in the fields of perfectly mowed grass and pruned bushes. The front of the home had marble steps that led to a large wooden door. Four marble columns added to the grandness of the front of the home. Gerard was jolted from his admiration by a harsh tug on his bicep.

"Let's go whore" the blonde said, annoyed. Gerard was certain he would have bruises from all this manhandling. The blonde stood way too close for Gerard's comfort and would find his hands lingered on his body longer than they should.

"Just remember if you can't please the Don you get to stay with me" he whispered in his ear and Gerard shuttered what this Don, this presumably much older man, would do to him. Once the front door was opened a young man not much older than Gerard was stopped.

"Ryan!" The dark haired man yelled. "Where is the Don?"

The young man pointed to a set of large mahogany doors. The group of men pulled at Gerard until they stood in front of the doors, the curly haired man and dark haired man in front, while the blonde held Gerard behind him tightly. There was a swift knocking at the door, followed by an annoyed "come in".

As the doors were open, Gerard couldn't see much around these large men so he kept his gaze fixed on the floor, noticing the plush off white carpeting.

"I assume you finished what I asked you to?" An unknown voice said sternly.

"Well not exactly" the curly haired man started. "We were ... interrupted. But I came up with a better idea. For the next seven days, we brought you a gift and if this isn't solved in a weeks time, you get the joy of doing away with both Castellaneta and this pet".

Suddenly the group of men parted and another hard yank pushed Gerard front and center to the awaiting eyes of the Don. The silence was piercing and Gerard slowly lifted his head to take in the room.

The walls were navy blue and adjourned with various photos and pieces of art. There was a large fireplace on the far end that had a small flame going. There was maroon curtains on the wall and large black leather chairs in the corner. On the wall opposite from Gerard was a large mahogany desk filled with paper and books and even a laptop that was closed. Behind it sat the Don in a leather office chair.

The Don's face was situated into pure shock and when Gerard met his gaze, his own mouth dropped open and he wanted to vomit.

He was staring at Frank. Frank was the Don.


	3. Chapter 3

The two stared at each other for a long moment, just trying to confirm to themselves that they were staring back at their boyfriend. Frank was the one to move first, slowly rising from his chair as he whispered "Gerard". Moving slowly as to not frighten the young man any more than he was, he approached him, frantically looking him over. The fear has festered and the moment Frank reaches out to lightly touch Gerard's biceps, Gerard crumbled in a bout of nearly hysterical sobs.

"Where did you find him?" Frank asked worried, not even noticing his wrists still bound together. 

"Uh sir? I don't mean to overstep my bounds but do you know each other?" Frank had kept his relationship a secret from most of his men, only divulging his feelings for the boy to his curly headed right hand, Ray. But Ray had never seen Gerard. It was Ray's job to basically cover for his boss while Frank went out to see Gerard. Sensing the confusion in his men, he looked back at his boyfriend who looked so scared.

"Gee? Baby it's ok ... it-it's just me" he tried to soothe the shaking boy softly but failing.

"What the hell have you fucking idiots done?!" He growled, the volume and sudden reaction causing Gerard to jump again as more tears trailed down his cheeks.

"You were only supposed to ... _take care _of John and get my money back, not kidnap an innocent person!" Frank yelled.

"With all due respect, sir, this isn't just any person. This is the _son_ of John Castellaneta." The dark haired man spoke. Frank was visibly surprised by that statement. His arms dropped to his sides and he took a step back gazing over Gerard again.

"But ... but your last name isn't Castellaneta" he stated quietly.

Gerard shook his head frantically. As he wiped his eyes with his forearm, he was finally calm enough to speak.

"N-n-no, my parents gave m-m-me my mother's last n-name" he stuttered. Frank still looked bewildered. Gerard didn't look much like his father but he had some tell tale features. Without breaking his darkening gaze at Gerard, he spoke again.

"Leave us" he said quietly. The men didn't know if he was talking to them or the trembling boy, but the answer was clear when he turned his head towards the men and yelled "didn't you hear me?! I said leave!"

The blonde man scoffed. "Typical. We bring him a pet to play with and don't even get a thanks".

"What did you call him, Bob?" Frank growled, stalking towards the larger man, grabbing the front of his shirt.

Bob turned around and smiled. "I said you should thank us for your new play toy" he spoke clearly, seeing Gerard wince at the name he was called. Frank's fury was sudden, when his right fist collided with the center of Bobs nose. Blood poured out and Bob brought his hands to his face in pain.

"There's your thanks, mother fucker" he growled. "Don't you dare disrespect him like that". Even through the swelling had started on his eyes, Bob still looked like he wanted to fight until Ray grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door, making sure everyone was ushered and out they would be alone.

The ear piercing silence was back again as Frank kept his back to the boy, trying to calculate his next moves. In a swift moment, he turned and stormed towards Gerard, backing him up into the nearest wall. Gerard's honey eyes showed obvious fear but also confusion, but Frank's eyes still kept their dark glint as his jaw tensed.

"I should have known better" he murmured lowly. "I should have know John would do this. Dangle this beautiful boy in front of me and making fall ... No". With that Frank backed away shaking his head.

"Frankie" Gerard whimpered.

"Don't you ever call me that again" he snarled as he pushed Gerard back up against the wall with his body.

"Wait, you're mad at me?" Gerard asked quietly. "How do I feel, your fucking... whoever just kidnapped me!" The volume of his voice increased with each word as his courage grew higher. "You didn't tell me about this life, I thought my boyfriend Frank was a business man and lived in a nice apartment in the city." 

Frank's face fell a little in guilt. Yes, technically he did lie to Gerard, but it was to protect him. He was far too innocent to know about the blood on Frank's hands.

"You-you didn't tell me about your father".

"Tell you what?" Gerard asked angrily. "Do you really think my father ever told me about his job? I was at his house for dinner and your fucking men..." he trailed off.

Frank was exhausted and his head was already starting to pound. He wanted to believe Gerard but he had been hurt before and didn't want to have to go through that again. He walked slowly back over to his desk, rummaging through the top drawer until he pulled something out.

Stalking back to Gerard, it became clear that Frank was holding a knife, but by the time Gerard realized this, Frank had used his body once again to pin Gerard to the wall. Taking the dull side of the blade, he gently caressed it over Gerard's left cheek watching his eyes fill with fear again.

"It would be so easy" he whispered as the blade slowly made its way to Gerard's throat. "I could just slice your throat here and now, let you bleed out and have Ray and Brendon clean up the mess. You would be gone forever, never to lie or hurt anyone anymore. But I'm tired." Gerard's eyes visibly widened at Frank's words.

Frank slowly slid the blade down the front of his shirt as Gerard's eyes closed tightly, waiting for the blow he was sure to receive. Hopefully he would bleed out quickly and painlessly. With a sudden jerk of his arm, Frank had successfully cut through the tape binding Gerard's wrists, freeing them.

"Leave" Frank whispered as he backed up. "Leave and never come back", and he turned to go back to his desk.

Gerard was dumbfounded. He wasn't sliced open or hurt. He was free. He should have run out of there as quickly as possible, but that would mean leaving Frank, the man he loved.

Gerard glanced towards Frank to see him leaning against his desk with his head hung low. Being as bold as he had ever been, he slowly made his way across the room and stood directly behind Frank, hesitating before wrapping his arms around his waist from behind.

Frank jolted out of his hold, grabbing the front of his shirt in his fists and practically throwing him up against the wall behind his desk.

"Are you fucking stupid or something? I said leave!"

"N-n-no" Gerard stuttered.

"Why? Why won't you fucking leave me alone?" Frank all but begged.

"Because I love you" Gerard whispered, his eyes closing as a tear slid down his cheek.

"If you love me, then prove it" Frank replied. With that, Gerard grabbed Frank's face and pulled him in for a deep passionate kiss, which Frank instantly responded to. He let Gerard have control for a few moments more before he took it back, pulling him off the wall and walking him back to his desk, pushing him onto his back and not once breaking their kiss.

When they pulled apart for air, Frank desperately searched Gerard's eyes looking for any deception, any flash of light that proved he was lying, but all he saw in those beautiful orbs was love and still a little fear. It broke Frank.

"I'm so sorry" he said kissing Gerard between words. "I love you so much I'm just so fucking sorry for all of this".

"I gave you everything" Gerard panted between the assaults on his lips. "Everything" he breathed. "How could I not love you".

Their make out session lasted a few more minutes before Frank had to stop. He would have loved to take things further but he had work to do. Mainly figure out how his men fucked up so badly.

"Come on" Frank said, smiling at Gerard's swollen lips and messy hair. "I want to introduce you to the guys". The two lovers walked hand in hand out of the office, the fear of the unknown hidden in the shadows of their minds.


	4. Chapter 4

Ray was loitering around the door of the office, waiting for either a gun shot or a scream that never seemed to come. He was honestly shocked when he saw Frank with a large smile on his face, his fingers intertwined with the young man's.

"Attention!" He called out to his men and housekeepers they began to gather.

"This is my boyfriend Gerard. He will be staying with us a few days. Treat him well and make him feel welcome". Ray instantly understood. He never met Gerard but he knew a lot about him. Frank was so in love with that boy and while Frank would see that as weakness, no one else knew about Gerard besides his best friend Ray.

Frank escorted Gerard over to start formal introductions. Gerard met Ray, Brendon, Dallon, Andy, Pete and Patrick. They all wore suits similar to Frank's but didn't fill them out quite like he did.

"Sorry about all of that" Ray said sheepishly as he glanced down at the red marks on his wrist that were no doubt from the tape. Gerard leaned closer to Frank but didn't respond. He didn't know what to say.

An older woman in her sixties came up with a soft smile on her face.

"Gee, this is Jeanie, the head housekeeper. She'll keep you fed and safe while you're here" again Gerard didn't respond verbally but gave her a small smile.

Frank looked around noticing Bob was missing. "I will introduce you to Bob later" he said softly. Frank couldn't ignore the way Gerard's body tensed and his grip on Frank's arm tightened. "I'm sorry about him" Frank continued. "He's an excellent man to have on your team but he's a shitty person in general. If he frightens you I will make him stay away." That proposal had Gerard relaxing. He wouldn't have to be near the blonde with the scary smile.

Frank led Gerard to the grand staircase. Walking him up slowly, he told Gerard all about the house and how long he lived there. Sensing his confusion, Frank explained why Gerard only saw his apartment.

"That's more centered in town. I do own it, but I only stay there when I'm doing ... work" he said. Once they reached the second floor, Gerard noticed there were several doors. "These are rooms for my men and the house help. The third floor belongs to me and Ray, and while you're here, you too" Frank said with a smile as he led Gerard to another staircase. This one wasn't as grand as the first, it was fairly ordinary, but it led up to the third floor. Again several more doors but there was a large open sitting room, which looked like it was filled with books. Gerard longed to go in and see, but he refrained.

Walking by another wooden door, Frank reached out and touched it lightly. "This is Ray's room" he said, and a golden plaque on the door read R. TORO. "He's my most trusted confidant so I keep him closest to me" and Gerard nodded in understanding. He was a little jealous with how highly Frank spoke of Ray, but he was also pretty certain Ray was never tangled in satin bedsheets with a sweaty Frank above him, pounding into his body mercilessly.

Once they reached the end of the hall, another set of double doors were before them. Frank untangled his fingers from Gerard's right grasp to push both open and reveal a large master bedroom suite. "This is my room" he smiled.

The carpet was similar to his office, a plush creamy color that Gerard wanted to just lay on. The walls were a maroon color, yet it surprisingly didn't make the room dark. There was a large bed centered in the room with navy blue bedding. One wall was covered in large windows that looked out the backyard over a somewhat neglected garden and grass land.

Once Gerard had come back from his admiration of Frank's room, he turned to see Frank sitting at the edge of his bed, leaving back on his hands watching Gerard with an amusing smile.

"Do you like it?" He asked gently.

"It's beautiful" Gerard said in awe. He was shocked that such a tattooed man no less could live in such a beautiful home.

"It's a good thing I'm rich, I have expensive taste" Frank laughed. Gerard looked around not knowing what to do with himself until Frank patted the spot on the bed right next to him.

"You're going to be staying with me for a few days. The entire third floor is safe, you can go anywhere you want except for Ray's room. Once the sun goes down I would prefer you stayed up here for your own safety. During the day, the house is yours, minus the other bedrooms and my office" Frank explained.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" Gerard asked quietly. It was a vague question but Frank know what he meant.

"Yes" he finally said after a few moments of hesitation. "I'll tell you everything. I just need to meet with my men, figure out what happened. Are you hungry love?" Frank asked hoping to change the subject. He knew he would have to come clean to Gerard at some point, he just didn't know how to explain that the intent was to kill John, not give him time.

"Yes" Gerard breathed just as his stomach growled.

"Well we already ate but I'll have Jeanie bring you something up" Frank said as he stood up. "I'll be back soon".

Gerard was still a little frightened. He definitely didn't want to be left alone in a strange house. Not with Bob or any unknown person who could potentially hurt him. But Frank was there. Granted it was a big house, Frank would still protect him.

After giving him a hug and reassuring kisses, Frank made his way to the hallway, closing his bedroom doors softly. Ray was in the halls.

"Ray, call a meeting" Frank said lowly as his happy mood from being with Gerard quickly dissipated. "I need answers and I need them now" as he stormed passed, headed towards the conference room he had on the main floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Within ten minutes, the conference room is full of men in suits, conversing amongst each other. Frank sat at the head of the table, waiting for Ray to return so he could start this shit show. He didn't have to wait long before Ray was slipping in the door quietly, nodding at Frank, letting him know everyone was here and accounted for. As Frank stood up, the room quieted down. There was about 15 men in there with him, and only a small few had been assigned the Castelleneta job, but he needed answers.

"Obviously there is a reason you are all here" Frank started in an authoritative tone. "John Castelleneta is still alive. His son is in my bedroom scared to death. And my money is still missing. Does someone want to tell me what the fuck happened?"

The men looked around at each other, not wanting to be the one to retell the story. Frank looked from man to man as the silence became thick. It was finally Ray who spoke up.

"I think the other men will agree with me on this. The stakeout men notified us that a bunch of house workers were leaving, basically leaving John alone. Taking that opportunity, we went in and found John in his office. He said he didn't know what you were talking about so we tied him up, you know, roughed him up a bit. As we were getting ready to leave, I was just pulling my gun out of it's holster when Bob noticed the kid standing in the hallway. We couldn't kill John with a witness. So we tried to take him out of the equation but the reaction John had to him gave me a better idea. Since we didn't know where your stuff or money was, I thought it was better to take the kid, hold him hostage. Let John sweat it out, that way if he was guilty he would cough up what's yours."

As Ray spoke, Frank sat back down in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. Ray was his best worker and he honestly did make a good call and if Frank was in that situation he probably would have made the same one. But it was Gerard, not some random kid he could lock in a room for seven days and put a bullet in his head if his father didn't pay up.

"How are we going to fix it?" Frank asked, exasperated. Brandon was the one to speak next.

"We wait seven days. See if John pays up".

"And what if he doesn't?" Frank asked with a sad undertone. No amount of money was worth Gerard's life and he knew he couldn't bring himself to kill his boyfriend. But they couldn't live out their life in peace. John was ruthless, much like Frank. He wouldn't stop to find his son and Frank knew it would cost him his own life.

The room fell silent again. Most of them didn't know about Frank and Gerard's relationship, and that's how Frank liked it. He didn't want his business out there.

"What do you mean?" Bobs voice interjected. "If he doesn't pay, we kill the kid and send his decapitated head back to his father" he grinned. It was a split second of shock before Frank was standing again, his gun out of its holster, loaded and pointed directly between Bob's eyes.

"Say that one more time" Frank whispered in a tone that literally sent shivers down everyone's backs. Bob was confused. He watched Frank kill people for less, yet he had some weird attachment to this kid. But even Bob knew when a loaded gun was pointed at him he should shut his fucking mouth.

After another moment, Frank slowly lowered the gun. "Gerard is here for the week. Make him feel welcome not scared and uncomfortable. We'll deal with the rest when it comes" Frank replied as he lowered back down into his chair. Slumping down even further, he waved his hand, signaling he was done and dismissing his men. Ray waited for everyone to leave before he dropped his mafia face and turned to his friend.

"Frank" he said softly. "Talk to me". Frank looked up to confirm they were alone, which he really didn't need to do. Ray never spoke to Frank like this in front of others, but when they were alone, Ray was the only one who could tell Frank he was fucking up and Frank would listen.

"It's Gerard" Frank repeated.

"I know but, how did we not know?" Frank shrugged. When he first met Gerard, he was taken back by how beautiful that boy was. He was sweet and innocent, a kind of innocent that Frank itched to break and rebuild over and over again. Before he could take things to another level, he had Ray find as much info about the boy as he could. He knew about his mother Donna. Knew she died when he was young. He figured the "father" he spoke of was a step father or uncle. He never found a marriage certificate for Donna and even Gerard's birth certificate only listed her name. There was no physical trail linking John and Gerard.

"You searched hard, Ray. I don't blame you" Frank murmured.

"What are you going to do in seven days?" Ray asked.

Frank thought it over. It was a crazy and probably an impossible plan, but what his brain came up with gave him assurance.

"If John doesn't give me what I want ... we kill him. Then I'll make it look like an accident or something so Gerard doesn't get hurt."

Frank hated John. Franks father hated John _and_ Johns father. The bad blood between the Iero and Castelleneta family ran deep. But Frank knew that John's death by his own hand would hurt Gerard. He would very likely leave him. And Frank wasn't about to let Gerard leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, did you know my kids hijacked my laptop? not cool. this story (and the sequel) are done i just have to take the time to upload it. so enjoy the next few chapters kidss!


	6. Chapter 6

Gerard sat on the bed for what seemed like forever before the boredom got to him. He was far too scared to venture out of the room and down the hall to the room with the books, but this place was starting to make him crazy. Frank had a TV but Gerard couldn't find the remote and he really didn't want to be caught shuffling through Franks stuff.

Instead of succumbing to the boredom, Gerard began to take in the pictures and paintings on the wall. There was a large painting of a woman with long dark hair. Gerard found himself lost in the brush strokes and color mixes. Next to that was a black and white photo of a man and woman standing with the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Below that was a picture of a chunky little baby with a toothless grin.

Gerard smiled at each photo. On the next wall there were more paintings, things like sunsets and flowers. Even one that looked a little like the garden in Franks backyard. Gerard scanned every painting but never found the signature of the artist and he began to wonder how Frank acquired these.

His thoughts were interrupted by a light tapping on the bedroom door. In walked Jeanie, carrying a silver tray.

"Mr Iero said you might be hungry" she said softly while setting the tray and opening a plate cover, revealing a heaping pile of steaming spaghetti, with what looked like a homemade bread stick on the side. Gerard's stomach suddenly grumbled violently.

"I-I-I am" he stuttered with a slight smile.

"I'm sorry it isn't much, everyone ate a few hours ago but I figured you deserved a good meal after ... your night". She said with a sad tone. Gerard stopped listening when he saw a light dusting of Parmesan cheese and slowly made his way back to the bed.

"When you're finished just leave it on the night stand I'll pick it up later" Jeanie said brightly as she turned and left, closing the door softly. Gerard wasted no time digging right in. He was certain he was making a mess all over his face but he was also certain he didn't give a fuck.

In devouring the plate in what could have been record time, he went into the attached bathroom and washed his face. By the time he had come back, a familiar short man was making his way into the room.

"Hey Gee" he said softly.

"That took you forever Frankie" Gerard pouted playfully. Frank smiled. Even after everything he experienced that night, Gerard could still keep his sense of humor.

"Frankie?" Gerard asked hesitantly. "Would you ... would you tell me what is going on?" Frank sighed. He didn't want to. He wanted to continue living in an ignorant bliss forever with the boy he loved. But after everything that happened tonight, he owed Gerard at least a partial explanation.

"Well what do you want to know" Frank inquired as he sat on the bed motioning for Gerard to join him.

"Everything." Frank sighed again.

"Ok love. My name is Frank Iero, and I am the leader of the Iero mafia family" he said. Gerard audibly gasped. I mean it was pretty obvious at this point that yes Frank was in the mob, but hearing it come from his own mouth was unreal.

"How?" Gerard found himself whispering.

"Well, my father was the leader until he ... until he died. And so it was only natural I take his place".

"How did he die?" Gerard asked gently. They talked about Gerard's mother and her illness but never about Frank.

"He was ... assassinated."

"And your mom?"

"She was killed in a car accident. A suspected assassination". Frank said sadly.

"So you truly are alone" Gerard said in sad realization.

"Not really. I have Ray. And Jeanie, she's known me since I was young. In this life, death is a large part. That's why you live every day the best you can" Frank crooned as he rested his hand on top of Gerard's.

"So then why my father?"

"John is ... not a friend. I have it on good authority that John has stolen some... merchandise from me. As you can imagine, that doesn't sit well. So I sent my men to check in with him, see what he knew."

Gerard looked confused. "My father isn't a thief" he said matter of factly. Frank stifled a chuckle. "No I mean it" Gerard continued. "My father raised me with good values, don't lie, cheat or steal".

"I'm sorry Gee" Frank said again as he tried to refrain from full on laughing. "Your father is in the mafia too. Lying, cheating and stealing is our business".

"You saw him take your stuff?" Gerard asked.

"Well, no. But I have a warehouse with excellent surveillance and we saw some of his... acquaintances stealing."

"Well if you didn't see him how come you're blaming him"

Frank pinched the bridge of his nose. "Gee, baby, it really isn't as simple as all that. It's very complicated. Just know this, I never accuse someone of anything without proof".

After a few moments of silence, Gerard spoke up again.

"Have you ever killed anybody?"

Frank hesitated. He definitely didn't want to answer this, but he promised Gerard honesty.

"I don't think you want to know the answer to that" Frank said lowly. Gerard found himself a little frightened yet still oddly safe. Frank had never pressured him or threatened him. Hell he never even raised his voice. Frank may have been a cold blooded mafia killer but _Frankie_ was sweet and soft and he Gerard's whole world.

"You won't kill my father will you?" He asked barely above a whisper.

Frank didn't want to lie, but he needed to end this conversation now. He left it at a simple "no". If he had his way, Gerard would think it was a freak accident. The couple fell into another small silence.

"Come on, baby" Frank said as he pulled Gerard back gently towards the pillows. "Let's get some sleep. I'm taking you to the mall tomorrow to buy whatever you want"

Gerard blushed and smiled a little. Frank was always spoiling him, doting on him. Gerard didn't need anything but if it meant spending the day with Frank he would go.

That night, under the soft covers, the two men held each other close, feeling like emotionally they had never been closer. Here were no secrets. No super big major ones anyway. Frank had his boy and that was all he ever wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

Gerard awoke to a pleasant smell. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was definitely a home cooked breakfast. After stretching out, he realized he was in bed alone. Gerard pouted a little bit at the thought of Frank enjoying breakfast without him.

Dragging his tired limbs out of bed until his toes felt the plush softness of the carpet, he decided to make his way down to the main floor. Opening the bedroom door softly, he listened out for other noises but was surprised when he didn't hear much. Slowly making his way to where he remembered the steps were, he saw the occasional maid, but no one else.

Once he made it to the main floor, he was lost. Frank never really showed him around and this house was huge. Gerard loitered through the rooms until the smell of bacon and pancakes reached its highest level. One more corner and he stumbled into the kitchen. It was bright, with large windows and even French doors that led to the back yard. The sun was shining and it gave the entire room a soft yellow glow.

Jeanie was piling pancakes on a plate before she turned and saw Gerard.

"Oh!" She squeaked, surprised at his sudden appearance. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in." Gerard blushed. "Are you hungry, dear?" She asked.

"Yes" Gerard said softly.

"Well you are just in time, follow me" She motioned as she walked towards another set of doors with the plate of pancakes. Once the swinging door was opened, Gerard stepped into a large dining hall, equipped with a large wooden table and elegant wooden chairs. The table was covered in plates with fruit, bread, toast and eggs. Frank sat in the middle of one of the long ends of the table and he was having a lively discussion with Ray, Brendon, Bob and a few other men Gerard didn't recognize. It took a few seconds before Frank noticed his boyfriend standing there awkwardly.

"Gee!" He said excitedly. "I'm glad you're up! Are you hungry? Jeanie made us all a big spread, come help yourself". Frank motioned for Ray and an unknown man to scoot down and make room for another chair for Gerard, right next to Frank. He slowly made his way to his seat, his cheeks burning red as he was certain every man in that room was looking at him. Jeanie came behind Gerard and gently set an empty plate and cup in front of him. As the rest of the men resumed their conversation, Gerard leaned over and loaded up on scrambled eggs and waffles.

"Do you remember that piece of shit guy?!" Brendon laughed with his mouth full. "He was just fucking asking for trouble".

"Yeah and Frankie here blew his fucking brains out" Bob laughed darkly. The sudden realization of what was just said caused Gerard to suddenly drop his fork, clanging loudly against his plate. Frank reached out and grabbed Gerard's arm gently.

"They just talk a lot of shit" he said quietly with a small smile. "That's enough work talk" he said louder as he looked into Gerard's eyes. The gang of men quieted down again.

"What's on the agenda today, boss?" Ray spoke up.

"Well I promised Gee a shopping spree at Sweetwater Springs mall" Frank said with a warm smile. "Ray, you, Brendon, Patrick, and Pete will come with us. Bob you will drive." And with that breakfast was finished fairly quickly.

————————————————————————

Gerard stood in Tone's Music Store scanning through records and CDs. Frank had left him with Ray and Pete saying he needed to run an important errand. Gerard hoisted his bags from Hot Topic and some cool boho shop that he couldn't remember the name of. Gerard saw this music shop and begged Frank for him to go in.

Frank was only gone about fifteen minutes before appearing behind Gerard carrying with him a small white bag. He nearly jumped a foot when Frank started talking.

"Where did you go Frankie" he asked when his heartbeat returned to normal.

"I went and got you a surprise" Frank cooed as he reached into the bag and pulled out a brand new cell phone. "It's new" he said with a smile.

Gerard took it gently in his hand. "I already have one" he said before remembering it was probably on his fathers kitchen counter still. "Oh".

"Now you have a way to call me if you need to" Frank spoke gently. "I have to leave the house and get some work done, but you'll still have a way to get ahold of me if you need" he added. Frank took his phone out and dialed a few buttons before the phone in Gerard's hand started vibrating and ringing a tune of 'What's My Age Again' by blink 182. It even flashed the name _Frankie_ across the screen with a little emoji heart. Gerard blushed. "Did you find some things you wanted, love?" Frank asked, noticing Gerard pawing through records like he was digging for treasure.

"You've already bought me so many spendy things" Gerard said shyly.

"I've told you, baby, you can have anything you want". Frank escorted Gerard to the counter where a girl not much older than 18 was ringing customers up. She had pitch black hair and side swept bangs, as well as several facial piercings. She saw Frank and instantly made goo goo eyes at him.

"What can I find for you" she smiled sweetly, completely ignoring Gerard. He couldn't help but feel a pang or jealousy.

"I'm just buying things for my boyfriend here" he said dismissively as he reached for his wallet and handed her his black credit card. She frowned at that but began scanning the records Gerard had found. Suddenly Franks phone began ringing.

"Gee, I have to take this call, can you finish up here?" Frank asked as he stared at his phone screen. Gerard nodded his head and turned back towards the cashier. By the time she had rung and bagged everything, she handed Gerard back Franks card and he turned to leave.

That's when Gerard noticed he was completely alone. Frank, Pete, Ray, Patrick And even Brendon we're all missing. He looked around the store in confusion until his pocket vibrated. Pulling out his new phone he saw a text from Frank.

_You are being watched. Grab your bags and walk towards the _ _mall _ _exit_


	8. Chapter 8

Gerard was a little frightened. He was being watched by who?! And where was Frank? He collected his bags and walked out of the store, turning towards the mall exit when his phone vibrated again.

_Don't walk so fast, you'll draw attention to yourself_

Gerard looked at his phone, puzzled, until another text came in immediately after that.

_We're watching too. Don't worry baby nothing will happen to you_

Slowing his pace, he began looking into the faces of the other mall goers trying to figure out who would be watching him. There was an elderly couple that smiled softly at him, a mall kiosk guy who tried to grab Gerard's attention to buy something he probably didn't need, and even a group of teenagers that just scared the shit out of him. Nobody looked like they were really watching him, though. His phone vibrated again.

_Just walk right out the doors, don't stop_

The large glass doors were in view and Gerard fought every instinct in his body to just sprint towards them. He was about 10 feet in front of the door before an arm snaked around his waist. Snapping his head to the right, he saw Frank, guiding him towards the door a little faster. Ray came up to Gerard's left side and he felt a little safer. That was until the yelling started.

"Hey! Stop those men" someone shouted. Before Frank had a chance to yank him out the door faster, Gerard looked over his shoulder to see a familiar man trying to catch up to them. Mark. One of his fathers men. Gerard couldn't dwell on the thought too long before the glass doors were flung open. Just as they set foot on the pavement, Franks black SUV screeched up in front of them. Frank all but shoved Gerard in, jumping in behind him as they took off.

Gerard looked out the back window as they drove away to see three or four of his fathers men running out the doors and looking in their direction. Gerard was panting and frightened, but when he looked over at Frank, he was completely calm.

"Frank" Gerard breathed as he finally started to catch his breath. "What the hell?"

"Don't worry baby," Frank said dismissively as he patted Gerard's knee. "Just having a little fun".

"But those men. I recognize them" Gerard spoke.

"I'm sure you do, Gee. They're your father's men" Frank said with a hint of annoyance. As they drove back towards Frank's house, Gerard sat deep in his own thoughts. Why would Frank take him to such a public place. It sounded like he _knew_ those guys would be there. The more Gerard thought, the angrier he was becoming.

Frank was just being cruel. Taking Gerard and dangling him in front of his father like he's some sort of play thing. Of course those men would go back to John and tell him what they saw and it would hurt him that much more. As they pulled up to the house, Gerard huffed and started grabbing his bags angrily.

"Gee? What's wrong?" Frank inquired. He had been so absorbed in talking work with Ray and Bob that he hadn't noticed Gerard's sudden mood change. But Gerard didn't respond, he just fumbled with his bags and trying to get his door open.

"Gee?" Still nothing. "Gerard please talk to me". Frank's soft tone causes him to stop tugging at his obviously locked door as he willed the tears developing in his eyes back. After a few silent moments, he turned to look at Frank.

"I won't help you hurt him" he said quietly.

"What?" Frank asked, confused.

"My father. I won't help you hurt him. This shopping trip? This was meticulously planned wasn't it. You knew my fathers men would be there didn't you". Gerard's voice increased in volume with each word.

"Well, yes" Frank replied hesitantly. "But it's not the way you think".

"Then how, Frank? You're just rubbing this whole situation in his face. I'm all he has left in this work and you're just being a bully" Gerard said as he ended in a whisper. Frank was oddly quiet for several moments.

"You think I just did that to hurt him?" He asked quietly. Gerard didn't trust his voice so he just nodded.

"Gerard" Frank sighed. "Think about it. What did those men see?"

Gerard was confused. He didn't understand what Frank was asking.

"M-me?" He whimpered.

"Well yes but what about you?" But Gerard didn't know where this was going.

"Those men will report back to your father what they saw. And they saw you, walking around, wearing clean clothes. You aren't tied to a chair being beaten, you aren't being starved. I paraded you around to send the message back to your father that you are being cared for. I know you're all he has left and for the last two days he's probably assumed the worst is happening. I wanted to show him that you are okay".

Gerard thought about what Frank said and it suddenly made sense. He wasn't doing this to be mean, he was actually doing this to be nice.

"I did it for him, Gee. I hate his guts but he is your father I can't imagine how scared he is for you right now".

Gerard suddenly dropped his bags back to the floor and flung his arms around Frank. Frank would normally not want any physical displays of affection in front of his men but Bob and Ray were long gone by this point, not wanting to stay in the car and listen to the lovers quarrel.

"Just remember that everything I do is planned and it has your best interests at heart" Frank spoke softly as he tucked a strand of black hair behind Gerard's ear. "Let's go inside you can show me everything you bought" and with that, the couple made their way inside.

Bob was waiting by the entryway when they came in, and he looked annoyed.

"A word please, Frank?" He growled.

"Take your stuff upstairs Gee, I'll be there in a few minutes" Frank said as he squared his shoulders with Bob. Bob was his greatest soldier but had a tendency to forget who was in charge. Frank took great pleasure in reminding him.

Gerard made it all the way to Franks room before realizing he was missing a bag. _I must have left it in the car_ he thought. After depositing all the other bags on the bed, he made his way back downstairs when he heard the booming angry voice of Bob.

"Do you have any fucking clue what you're doing? That damn kid is going to get us _killed_".

"Are you questioning me, Bryar?" Frank's dark voice spoke.

"When it comes to that little twink and how tightly you are woven around his fingers, yes. Yes I am. Don't you dare forget about the last time" Bob snarled.

"The last time was _different_" Frank countered.

"How? They are both a cock slut to a different gang, a rival gang".

Frank's jaw tended and he was about ready to sock Bob square in the nose. Again. But he hesitated. It was at that moment that both men slowly looked to see Gerard standing on the steps in pure shock. Frank promised him this really didn't happen before yet here they were talking about a last time. Before anything else could be said, Gerard turned on his heels and darted up the steps with Frank calling after him.


	9. Chapter 9

The first door he found was thank god a bathroom and he slammed it, locking it behind him. Gerard let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding as he slowly crumbled to the cold marble floor, crying. Frank's soft voice came from beyond the closed door.

"Gee, baby open the door." Gerard shook his head, forgetting that Frank could not see through doors or walls. As Frank tried tugging on the handle again, Gerard slowly moved back to the furthest wall he could. He didn't ask for any of this. He just wanted to live his life with his loving father and wonderful innocent boyfriend. Gerard brought his knees to his chest and burrowed his face into his arms, crying his little heart out.

Gerard had no clue how long he had sat there and cried but his tears had dried long ago and he just felt exhausted. He wanted to sleep for a hundred years and pretend like this was all a dream. He hadn't heard any noise from the other side of the door in some time and he hoped it meant Frank had walked away.

He slowly crawled towards the door and gently pressed his ear against it, still nothing. After a few more minutes of convincing himself he could do this, Gerard stood up. His legs felt like jello but he could do this. He gently unlocked the handle and slowly opened the door.

Sitting against the wall directly across from the bathroom door was Frank. It looked like he had just lifted his head out of his hands to see Gerard come out. Gerard could have been mistaken but it looked like Frank had... had been crying.

"Gee" he whispered, reaching out towards his boyfriend. Gerard stood frozen. When Frank realized that Gerard wasn't planning on making any moves towards him, he sighed heavily and stood up, still staying slumped against the wall.

"You promised me I was the only one. You promised me this never happens" Gerard said quietly. Maybe Frank did this all the time. Maybe he kidnapped people frequently. Gerard couldn't believe the burning tingle of jealousy in the pit of his stomach but the image he had of his and Franks relationship was cracking more and more.

"Let me explain" Frank said holding his hand out to Gerard to take. He didn't.

"You always have things to explain" Gerard said harsher then he intended. "Maybe you should tell me everything so I can decide if this is worth it anymore". Frank nodded and signaled towards their bedroom. This was a story he didn't want to have to tell in the hallway.

Once inside the room, Gerard sat on the edge of the bed while Frank slumped back into a decorative chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose trying to pull back the headache that was coming. After a few minutes of long drawn out silence, Frank finally spoke.

"Her name was Jamia. She was ... my everything. I met her in a coffee shop one morning and we hit it off. She was so funny and interesting. After a few months of dating I begged her to move in, which she did. I thought we would be together forever. One night ... a group of my enemies from the Andretti family were able to get passed the gate. It was a night I had sent most of my men away, because Jamia didn't like all of them around. They broke in, killed three of my men and two house keepers. I was shot twice in the chest. Thank god for Ray who came home early, he was able to take the rest down. I spent weeks in the hospital trying to figure out how they knew we were home alone. How so many people were injured but Jamia wasn't. Ray came to see me and told me Jamia was cousins with the Andretti family don. They used her to get close to me, to kill me. My love for Jamia nearly cost me my life".

Frank could feel his own tears beginning to rise. He loved Jamia but after her, he built a wall. A wall he hadn't even let down yet for Gerard.

"What happened to her?" Gerard asked gently.

"Ray said he was going to take care of it. I never asked again but I think she was sent back to Italy. If she lived. I try not to think of it".

Gerard frowned. He had never heard his father say the last name Andretti before. Frank must have know what he was thinking.

"We wiped them completely off the radar" he said trying to hide his smug smile. "Those we didn't catch fled back to Italy. Antonio, the don, he's dead. I put the bullet between his eyes myself."

Gerard saw Franks eyes flash dark but for some reason he wasn't scared. Frank was attacked and he retaliated. Gerard supposed in some fucked up universe that was just street justice.

"That's why the men don't trust you. Especially after learning who your father is."

Gerard nodded. It made sense. After everything Frank had been through it was only natural that he would have reservations about Gerard.

"I don't have ulterior motives" Gerard said. Frank knew he was being honest. Where Jamia showed interest in the mob and how the Iero group worked, Gerard doesn't. He wanted to stay oblivious to his boyfriends "job".

"I know baby" he spoke quietly. Gerard got up and knelt in front of Frank.

"I love you Frank" he said before leaning forward and pressing their lips together in a soft chaste kiss. After a round of love making that left Gerard practically passed out in between the sheets, Frank couldn't sleep. He had work to do and aggression to get out and luckily for him he was about to have the perfect opportunity.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a violent chapter with plenty of trigger warnings for rape, murder and blood. proceed with caution.

Gerard was jolted out of his sleep by the slamming of a door. It wasn't a door near him, it was faint and he started to think maybe he dreamed it, until he heard a yell. Again it was muffled and when there were no following sounds, he started to think it was in his head.

He rolled over to curl up next to Frankie only to find the other side of the bed empty and cold. Gerard frowned. Where in the world could he be? The bathroom door was open and the light was off so he probably wasn't there. He tried not to worry, Frank was an adult and he didn't have to lay in bed just because Gerard did.

As Gerard tossed and turned, he couldn't settle back down. _Maybe some water will help_ he thought as he climbed out of the massive bed. Making his way towards the kitchen, the house was quiet, almost too quiet. But it was the middle of the night. It took a few minutes to get from the bedroom to the kitchen but the house was dark and quiet and surprisingly Gerard felt safe. He just thought it was odd he didn't see Frank anywhere.

He quietly poured himself a glass of water and drank it nearly entirely before he heard a faint yell again. It startled him and Gerard nearly jumped a foot. The yell was definitely real and it came from a hallway off the backside of the kitchen that Gerard had never noticed before. He turned the corner to see a short dark hallway with concrete steps heading down. He couldn't quite remember Frank saying anything about this, but he was scared Frank was hurt. He slowly made his way down the steps.

At the bottom was a long hallway with one door at the end. As he got closer to the door, the yelling got louder.

"You finally slipped up, motherfucker" someone growled.

"I told you, it's not my fault" another mans voice pleaded, followed by coughing and sputtering.

"Bullshit!" A third voice rose, definitely Frank's. "You are in charge of all my books and you're going to tell me that I didn't catch you stealing from me? That you haven't been skimming my books for hundreds of thousands of dollars?!"

"No" a voice groaned out, followed by a very audible slap that made Gerard jump again. Reaching out for the door handle, Gerard slowly and quietly turned it, cracking the door a fraction of an inch to peak inside. It was what he assumed to be a large darkly lit room, with one giant light shining in the middle. In the lights glow was a man tied to a wooden chair with what looked like blood coming out of his nose. He had his head hung low and his hair was obscuring most of his face. To the left of the man stood Ray with a holster and gun clearly visible. To the mans right was Bob, with a twisted smile on his face as he delicately ran his finger tips over a knifes blade. He heard Frank but didn't see him, not until he spoke again.

"Listen to me you stupid fuck" he growled as he stepped into Gerard's line of vision. He was directly in front of the man and he grabbed a fist full of hair, harshly tugging so the man would look Frank in the eye. "You'd better own up to your shit now before I drag your beautiful wife and gorgeous baby daughter here so you can watch them suffer".

Gerard's heart dropped. Would Frank really go that far? The look on the mans face was of pure shock and horror.

"What are you going to do, rape my wife?" The guy asked trying to sound strong but the fear clearly in his voice.

"Of course not" Frank said in a chipper voice letting go of the mans hair. "I'm gay. But Bob isn't" he said looking over to his soldier who was grinning.

"I love when they fight" Bob said gravely.

"No!" The man yelled. "I've been taking money, I have a girlfriend I've been trying to impress". The room went eerily quiet at the mans declaration.

"You" Frank growled. "You have a loving wife and adorable daughter and all you care about is getting your dick licked by some slut?" The man hung his head in shame. "I had an ounce of regret having to explain to your little Lilly what happened to her father but not anymore. I'm sure your whore will enlighten everyone at your funeral."

Gerard stood in shock as he watched Frank yank the knife from Bobs grasp, slicing it across the mans chest. He yelled in agony. The cuts were deep, but not deep enough to kill.

"You will die slowly" Frank spoke quietly, causing a gash to the mans arm. "You will remember who you double crossed. Frank Iero doesn't take to thieves well, especially in my own inner circle". He continued his assault as the man wailed and cried.

He was cut up and bleeding badly, but he wasn't dead. Gerard felt like he was going to vomit but he couldn't stop watching. Just when he thought Frank was done, he watched him pull a gun out of a holster on his hip and press the barrel gently against the man's forehead.

"Give my regards to my father" he said before he pulled the trigger. The man was most definitely dead now. The gun shot echoed through the hall and jolted Gerard into action. Frank was a monster, a fucking monster and Gerard needed to get away. Before Gerard could move, Frank had yanked the door open. The entire room was exposed to Gerard. The floor was covered in blood and the mans lifeless body was hunched over. Some of Frank's men were beginning the clean up. Frank and Gerard shared the same look on their face when their eyes met, both shock.

"Gerard!" Frank yelled in surprise. Gerard turned to run, sprinting up the steps as fast as possible. "Gerard wait!" Frank called out from only a few feet behind. Once in the kitchen, Frank caught up to Gerard, spinning him around and pushing him against the wall. "What the fuck are you doing?!" He yelled.

Gerard couldn't speak, he couldn't see anything big the mans blood, knowing he now had a wife and little girl who were probably tucked tightly into bed happy and content. When they wake, their worlds would be crushed, at Frank's hands. Before he knew what he was doing, Gerard kneed Frank in the crotch causing him to crumple in pain. Gerard took his moment and ran out the back doors into the garden. His socks were damp from the wet grass and he had a stitch in his side from running but he didn't stop.

Once he was a ways into the yard, he fell to his knees, finally throwing up everything in his system. He vomited so violently that his body shook. It could have also been the cold night hair but he wrote that off to being sick. He heard nothing around him but crickets.

_That was a horrible idea_ Gerard thought. _Frank is going to tie me to a chair and do me in_. Gerard propped his back up against a tree while he rested. He would have to sit here for the rest of the night because it was too dark to see. Frank grew up here but Gerard only puttered through the garden during the day. Gerard's last conscious thought before slipping off to sleep was how many neighbors did Frank have. He just needed to make it to one. He just needed his Frankie to tell him everything was alright. That guy who pulled the trigger wasn't his Frankie. Resting his head back against the trunk of the tree, Gerard closed his eyes.

Gerard was jolted awake when three sets of hands grabbed him at once, causing him to yelp in pain. Bob, Brendon and Ray were dragging him back towards the house. The sun was just peaking up over the horizon and he had no clue how long he was outside.

"No" Gerard yelled. "I don't want to go back there". He fought against the men holding him but to no avail. They were stronger. Once inside, his arms were tied around his back and he was literally dragged into the den. Gerard was tossed to the plush carpeting before the three men disappeared.

Gerard didn't want to look up, he was even more scared then when he was kidnapped.

"Gerard" Frank said with a stern tone, but Gerard didn't move. He stuffed his face into the carpet as the tears fell. After several moments, he finally spoke.

"Just kill me" he said in a shaky muffled tone. "I don't want to be cut like that guy, all I ever did was love you. So if you're going to kill me, just be merciful about it". Gerard continued to sob but no one touched him or said anything more to him. Once he had calmed down, he turned his head to look where he first heard Frank's voice. He expected to see him pissed, with a knife or a gun in his hand. But he wasn't.

Frank was perched on his knees about a foot away from Gerard, looking at him with sad, remorseful eyes.

"Do you think I would ever want to hurt you, love?" He whispered.

"That man" Gerard croaked. "He was a friend of yours and you just ... you ..." Gerard began to cry again. Frank waited for him to calm back down before speaking again.

"That man is a thief. A liar, a crook. He was fired from numerous accounting jobs for money laundering. I gave him a chance but I told him his fuck ups would cost him his life. The greedy bastard chose money over life."

"So call the police, go about punishing people the right way not with a gun" Gerard found himself saying.

"Do you think those crooked mother fuckers would take anything an Iero says seriously? In our world, we solve our own problems and not wait for the feeble geriatric hand of the law for help". Frank leaned forward and cut the tape around Gerard's wrists, freeing his arms. He didn't give him a moment to think twice before Frank had gathered up Gerard in his arms and held him close.

"I'm sorry you had to see that" Frank said as he nuzzles into Gerard's hair. Gerard was stiff, still completely terrified of Frank, no matter how the butterflies erupted in his stomach whenever Frank held him close like this.

Sensing Gerard was trying to close himself off, Frank spoke again. "I promise you, no matter how hard you would ever hurt me, I would never be able to hurt you back. I don't give two shits about most of the people that work for me, it's what makes my job easier. But someone I love? I could never live with myself if I ever did that to you" Frank grabbed Gerard's chin gently, raising his face until they were looking each other in the eyes. "I love you Gerard Arthur Way. More than anything else in this world" and he kissed Gerard's lips softly.

Gerard wanted to leave. He didn't want to be swooned by the Frankie he fell in love with when he remembered watching Mafia Frank be so cruel. _When they send me back to my father, I'll get out. No doubt daddy will send me away to be safe. I'll never be afraid of Frank again_. It wasn't a great plan, but it's what Gerard would hold onto for the next three days.


	11. Chapter 11

The rest of the day, Gerard was quiet. He was lost in his thoughts so far that Frank would have to repeat himself three or four times to get responses from him. This concerned Frank. He needed to learn how to juggle both of his worlds.

His stomach twisted with guilt the rest of the afternoon. Frank wasn't sorry that he finally did away with his shitty accountant. He was only slightly sorry at the new widow and fatherless child left in his wake. His guilt bloomed from Gerard seeing what he saw. He knew Gerard's heart was too tender to deal with the mob lifestyle. He hadn't been hardened by the world just yet, and Frank swore he would keep Gerard as innocent as he possibly could.

All day Frank tried to spend time with Gerard, tried to cuddle him and make him laugh, but Gerard was so unresponsive, so tense. During dinner, Frank sent everyone else away, so he and Gerard could have some peace and quiet, and he could try Frank's own famous pasta. He had to send Jeanie out to get the supplies but after that the house workers were given the night off.

Gerard had hardly moved off the couch in the den. He was scared. Frank hadn't raised his voice or his hand to Gerard since being dragged back inside like a wild animal, but one misstep could land him bleeding to death on the cold concrete floor. As the shadows moved across the room with the setting sun, he replayed last night over and over, fighting back tears and nausea. It wasn't until his nose picked up a delectable scent that made his stomach growl violently. He hadn't eaten all day and it was catching up with him. Having not heard from Frank in the better part of an hour, Gerard thought it was safe to get up and find out the source of the mouthwatering smell.

Gerard peaked around the corner of the kitchen doorway and saw Frank. His button down shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he wore a cream colored apron. He danced around slightly to music while he dumped diced vegetables into a big pot.

Gerard watched for several minutes, feeling his heart flip. This was the man he truly adored, not the psycho in the basement. He fought hard against the butterflies in his stomach. He was trying to distance his heart from Frank and this wasn't helping one bit.

"Hey Gee" Frank said sweetly, noticing his boyfriend staring at him. "It's just you and me tonight, baby, so I thought I'd make dinner".

"I-I didn't know you cooked" Gerard said quietly.

"I don't" Frank chuckled. "This was my mother's recipe and it's the only thing I can seem to make decently".

Gerard made his way to the dining hall where Frank had already set two place settings next to each other. Gerard didn't feel comfortable sitting so close to Frank but before he could move his plate and glass, Frank came in with a heaping bowl of pasta.

"Make yourself comfortable Gee while I grab a bottle of wine and pitcher of water. Gerard stared at the steamy goodness until Frank came back, worried it would make him angry if Gerard dished himself up. He was definitely walking around on egg shells.

"Looks good?" Frank asked nervously. Gerard nodded. "Well help yourself then, there is plenty". With that, Gerard ladled a few large portions on his white ceramic plate. The two sat in silence as they ate, the tension thickening in the air as more time passed.

"Gerard" Frank spoke softly. Gerard turned to look at Frank but could hardly keep eye contact for longer than a few seconds. "Gee can we please talk about last night?" Frank pleaded. Gerard set his fork down gently against the plate and stared ahead. Frank took this as his queue to continue.

"What you saw ... you weren't supposed to see." Frank said hesitantly. Gerard didn't respond. "That is how I deal with ... problems in my world. That's how everyone in my world deals with problems."

Gerard could feel the tears prickling his eyes as he realized it was extremely likely that Frank would bestow the same fate on his father as he did that man. He was also accusing his father of theft.

"Gee please look at me. You've been so distant all day" Frank pleaded. His heart shattered when he saw how upset Gerard actually was. Frank started mentally kicking himself for bringing this up over dinner when Gerard was barely through half his meal.

"I'm so scared" Gerard whispered as large wet tears slid down his cheeks. Frank dropped his fork with a loud clattering and turned his entire body towards Gerard, causing the smaller man to jump at the noise.

"Gerard I told you I would _never_ hurt you. You are my world".

"But what about my father?" Frank was surprised. He didn't think this would turn into the potential demise of Frank's enemy.

"What about him?" Frank asked playing a confused role. He knew exactly what Gerard was getting at.

"Y-you said that man was a thief and so you needed to kill him. But you also said my father is a thief" Gerard's voice quivered. Frank was wholly fucked now. If he killed John, Gerard would know. If he let John live and potentially get away with stealing from Frank, the rest of the mafia world would know and it would turn into an all out hostile take over of the Iero family.

"Your father is an alleged thief" Frank deadpanned. "I don't have proof with him like I did with that other man."

"How do you do it? How do you destroy people's worlds and sleep at night?" Gerard asked quietly. Frank had to really think about that one. He had to admit that besides the stunt Gerard pulled that kept Frank up with worry, he would have slept like a fucking baby that night. He rarely lost sleep when he _took care _of somebody. But he also always had facts. He never went off rumor or conjecture when assassinating somebody.

"When you live this life as long as I do, you become numb to the evils of the world" Frank finally replied.

The two men fell into another tense silence. Frank wanted his Gerard back. His loving goofy boyfriend who he could always count on. Gerard wanted his Frankie, the affectionate sweet man. Not this _Iero_ fella.

"How? How can I make this up to you?" Frank finally pleaded. Gerard sat for several moments thinking it through. Did he even want Frank to make it up to him? He finally settled on what Frank could do to earn a little respect back.

"Make sure you are absolutely certain of my fathers guilt before you condemn him to death".


	12. Chapter 12

The couple finished their dinner in silence. More like Frank ate awkwardly while Gerard just pushed the food around his plate. Frank wasn't sure he could keep that promise to Gerard. He knew it wasn't John that stole from him, it was one of his men. But he couldn't just start asking questions, nobody would tell him anything anyway.

After they wrapped up the meal, Frank escorted Gerard to bed. He told Gerard he could sleep on the large bed and Frank would sleep in a guest room down the hall. Frank was desperate for Gerard to be comfortable with him again. He must have been making some kind of headway, though, because before Gerard walked into the bedroom, he left a soft kiss on Frank's cheek. Frank blushed at the simple action and was giddy. Deep down he knew Gerard still loved him, he just needed to win him back. After watching the bedroom door close softly, Frank turned on his heel and headed towards his office with one thing on his mind. He fished his phone out of his pocket, dialing Ray and telling him to come immediately. Ray was a much better investigator.

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"Fuck, Frank" Ray sighed. He would never normally talk to his boss like this but it was just the two of them and they were both exhausted. "We've watched this tape fifty times I don't know why you think it's going to change anything. We know that's Ramon, who has worked for John for a little over a year."

"I know, but he's with someone. An idiot getaway driver who got out of the car to help him. And that man we don't recognize. If this is a heist, it's a badly planned and executed one" Frank thought out loud. Gerard was onto something. Watching the tape, Frank started to think maybe this wasn't Johns doing.

"What is Ramon's dealings?" Frank asked, not taking his eyes off the screen as the tape played on a continuous loop.

"Drugs" Ray said.

"If he is dealing or distributing drugs, why is he stealing counterfeit merchandise?" Frank was in the drug game. He was in the prostitution game, he owned a bar and a restaurant hell he even owned a strip club. But for the past two years, he's made the bulk of his illegal funds through counterfeit items. Things like designer purses and clothes. Woman in New York were so desperate for a name on a label they never really cared to see it wasn't quite a Gucci bag or Christian Laboutine shoes. Frank was the pioneer for this enterprise and many other families started their own counterfeit projects but they weren't nearly as successful as Frank's.

"Let me guess" Ray spoke, interrupting Frank's thoughts. "You think John is innocent."

Frank scoffed. "John is definitely _not _innocent, I just don't think he knows about this. We know John. He sends five of his biggest guys. These are two scrawny fucks. And stupid to boot. John isn't stupid."

It was nearly one in the morning when Frank decided he had had enough. His head was pounding and his thoughts were swimming everywhere. After wishing Ray a good night, he made his way into the guest bedroom across the hall from Ray. It wasn't as big or nicely designed as Frank's, but it still had a decently comfortable bed. Frank kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants, flinging them onto the floor. He was too tired to give a shit right now. He shut off the light and climbed under the covers. The bed was smaller than his but it felt enormous without Gerard. He tossed and turned for a while, wishing his boy was there to keep him warm.

Frank was finally almost asleep when a quiet tapping was heard on his door. At first he thought it was in his head so he just rolled over and closed his eyes until he heard it again. He got up and slowly cracked the door open to see Gerard standing there, in one of Frank's old tee shirts.

"Frankie?" Gerard whispered.

"What's wrong baby?" Frank groaned softly as he saw it was nearly 3a.

"I-I can't sleep. The storm. It's scaring me". Frank forgot all about the thunderstorm in the forecast and he knew they scared Gerard. Frank opened the door wider, motioning Gerard to come in.

"I-I'm sorry" he said softly, "I didn't m-mean to wake you".

"Come one sweetie" Frank said as he climbed into bed, holding the sheet open for Gerard to climb in next to him. Gerard did just that and curled up right against Frank's chest. He felt Gerard slowly relax as they cuddled together and he breathed a sigh of relief.

When Frank felt Gerard's breathing slow down and even out, he nuzzled his face in his hair.

"I love you, Gerard" he whispered sadly. Frank sighed and closed his eyes, but he was so fucking thankful he was awake a minute later when he heard it. It was soft, barely audible but it was there.

"I love you too, Frankie."


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning at breakfast, Gerard was almost back to his old self. It was easy to forget about Frank's sadistic side when he was laughing with his men, or staring at Gerard adoringly. Gerard wasn't sure what would happen when he went back to his father the next night but he was certain of one thing: he adored Frank and Frank adored him.

Jeanie had prepared a usual large spread with every breakfast food one could imagine. Gerard was impressed that Frank was able to stay in such good shape with heaping piles of pancakes and scrambled eggs to indulge on every morning. Gerard took advantage of this while he was there and had two or three plates of food.

The entire mood of the room shifted almost violently when Ray said "I think we should talk about tomorrow nights meeting". Tomorrow night. Day seven. Gerard was allowed to go back to his father. The two mob kingpins had worked out a meeting places at Grace's, a popular Italian restaurant on neutral territory. 

Frank looked over and smiled sadly at his boyfriend. Things would change after this. Gerard wouldn't be wrapped around his body late at night while they shared kisses and giggles. He wouldn't see him smiling at breakfast time, or milling in the garden on the hot afternoons. It wasn't like Gerard was leaving forever, at least Frank hoped, but he wouldn't be living here anymore. Not because Frank didn't want him to, Frank would love Gerard to move in permanently.

"Grace's is neutral ground" Ray spoke softly. "That means those who go inside must go inside unarmed. This is a sit down. Any violence must be contained until outside." Gerard breathed a small sigh of relief. No one should be getting hurt that night.

"Gee, you'll be brought to your father to show that you are okay. Then you'll ... you'll be free" Frank hesitated. Gerard was never caged up here, if he asked Frank to leave, Frank would have let him, but John didn't know that. "John and I have things to talk about that you probably won't want to be apart of".

"But I do" Gerard found himself saying. "I-I don't want to be left in the dark anymore." 

Frank nodded and patted his hand. He wasn't comfortable with Gerard listening in on business and he would bet the farm on the fact that John would feel the same way. But it's an argument they could have later.

———————————————————————

It was late morning and Frank had wandered around looking for Gerard until he found him outside sitting in the patch of wildflowers. Frank learned Gerard had a deep connection to nature and he wanted to take him all over the world experiencing the woods and the ocean. Frank stood back just watching his boyfriend who hadn't yet noticed his presence. He was humming as he sat cross legged in the grass, picking flowers and braiding them together. The morning sun made him shine like an angel and Frank smiled softly. This boy was still pure. No matter how many times he laid under Frank, panting and begging as his nails cut up Frank's back, he was still so pure. It was Frank's favorite thing about Gerard. He was so innocent and shy until he was alone with Frank, then he was someone else entirely. Frank loved being one of the few people to break through to the real Gerard.

After several minutes of watching, Frank walked up beside him and sat down softly.

"Whatcha making?" He asked. Gerard shot him a crooked grin, the light behind his eyes dancing. 

"You'll see" he mused. Only a few more minutes passed before Gerard announced he was done, lifting and setting his creation on his own head. It was a flower crown.

"You're beautiful, baby" Frank crooned as he tucked a piece of hair behind Gerard's ear. Gerard beamed. He loved it when Frank complimented him.

"I actually came out here because I wanted to talk to you" Frank said as he leaned back on his hands. He was nervous. Gerard raised an eyebrow at him in inquiry.

"I, uh, well tomorrow we see your dad and you won't have to stay here anymore. I just thought, maybe, what if you wanted to? Stay here, I mean?" Gerard's brows furrowed as he was confused by Frank's babbling.

"Fuck I'm nervous, I'm sorry. What I'm saying is that I want you to live with me ... all the time". Frank looked at Gerard with hope in his eyes. Gerard was shocked. He never really thought about living here forever. Sure he would love it, but the basement. He was still terrified. How many people met their demise down there? He wasn't sure he could stay here with that happening while he slept or ate or even sat here in the garden.

"I would love to Frankie, I really would, I just .... I don't know" Gerard shrugged. Frank couldn't help the sinking feeling of rejection as his smile disappeared. "Oh god" Gerard groaned "it's not you, no, I just ... can't stop thinking about that night. I would love to live with you but I don't know about living here" he motioned towards the mansion.

"But I was raised here" Frank said. "I thought maybe someday I would have kids and they would be raised here. Pass the house down by generation to generation."

"Oh that's not really helping your case" Gerard frowned, thinking about not only the men Frank killed here but his father ... and grandfather. He always tried to forget that Frank came from a long line of mobsters.

"Think about it, okay? You don't have to answer now, just think about it" Frank said, sitting back up and cupping his hand to Gerard's face, rubbing his thumb over his cheekbones. Gerard nodded.

"Tomorrow is all about you baby, tell me what you want to do and we'll do it" Frank spoke, trying to change the subject. Gerard smiled softly.

"I just want to spend it with you ..." he spoke as a blush crept up his cheeks "... with very little clothing".

Frank raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Anything for you, my love".


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mild smut alert!

It was nine in the morning and already one of Frank's favorite mornings. Gerard had a light sheen of sweat across his body as he bounced gently on Frank's hard cock. Normally Frank was on top, but he decided to give up a little control and let Gerard call the shots.

After a particularly hard strike to his prostate, Gerard stumped forward with his hands on Frank's chest with the nails digging in. Frank loved this. He wasn't hardly doing anything and Gerard was still finding extreme pleasure.

"I"m-I'm gonna come!" Gerard practically screamed. Frank took ahold of his hips and forced them down as he pushed up, ripping a loud cry from Gerard.

"Come on, baby" Frank grunted, repeating his actions over and over until Gerard was practically sobbing, hot sticky come shooting out onto Frank's stomach. Watching Gerard come apart at the seams above him was too much and after a few more thrusts Frank himself was coming deep inside of the boy.

The two of them panted hard as they came down from their highs, Gerard finally pulling Frank out of him and flopping down onto the bed. Frank rolled over and peppered kisses along Gerard's shoulder and collarbone. It always took longer for Gerard to come back to reality and after that particularly intense orgasm, Frank knew it would even be that much longer.

After a few minutes, they caught their breaths and just held each other. Gerard was the first to speak as he traced a fingertip along Frank's tattoos.

"Can we ... can we go again?" He asked timidly. Frank opened his eyes and looked at him, his face smoothing into a warm smile.

"Whatever you want" he said, leaving in and attaching their lips. "I just may need a few more minutes, I'm not young like you" Frank laughed and Gerard giggled.

————————————————————————

Four times. That's how many times both men found their own paradises before Frank had to tap out. He would love to sit there and fuck his boy over and over again and he hoped he would have that chance soon. Gerard hadn't said anything about the prospect of moving in but Frank didn't want to push him.

It was nearly noon and while Gerard showered, Jeanie brought in a few bowls of tomato soup and several grilled cheese sandwiches. Frank wanted to wait for Gerard before he started eating, he really did, but it smelled too damn good and he was far too hungry.

Gerard came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, droplets of water falling from his hair and onto his shoulders.

"Frank, what the fuck?" Gerard asked amusingly.

"Oh, uh foods here" Frank said with his mouth full of sandwich. Gerard just giggled and crawled into bed, grabbing a sandwich for himself.

————————————————————————

After such an eventful morning, and a big lunch, Gerard had dozed off in bed. Frank was tired but anxious about the upcoming night so he got out of bed and wandered around the house. His men had begun to arrive at the house and started planning for gun fights and other crazy shit to go down.

"This is Gerard's father, I doubt anything like that will happen" Frank interrupted Dallon and Brendon.

"This is John Castelleneta who has spilled more blood than you and your father combined" Brandon stated. "It's very possible". Frank knew he wasn't exaggerating that fact.

"Don't let Gerard hear anything like this" Frank warned as he walked away. In his dining room, many men had their guns out, cleaning and loading them. The men loved the excitement of the potential of a blood bath and Frank normally did too but right now he was dreading it. He just wanted this meeting to be over with and be fast asleep in his bed with Gerard in his arms, snoring softly.

————————————————————————

As the sun set, there was an electricity in the air that was all to familiar to Frank and the boys. They would all share a meal together, just in case something happened. They would go over exit strategies and possible back up plans. Frank tried convincing Gerard to stay upstairs but he insisted to be included. Ray even gave him an odd look when Gerard followed Frank into the dining room.

There wasn't the normal chatter and joking that Gerard was used to, it was quiet and tense. After a few minutes, Frank spoke.

"We know what we're doing tonight, and we know what could possibly happen. We will go in with peace on our minds but as we know, our _friends _may not have the same mindset. Be vigilant and watch each other's backs, we all come home safely tonight". Frank looked around and watched the men nod in understanding. This wasn't their first sit down but Frank always liked to reiterate what to expect.

"If the worst should happen ..." Frank stopped. He didn't want to say this in front of Gerard, but he couldn't not say it at all. "If the worst should happen, eliminate John."

Gerard looked up at him with wide eyes. Frank squeezes his hand under the table, taking a mental note to explain everything to Gerard in more detail.

Gerard's appetite was long gone now. He always knew a loving, careful man but he was scared that he was about to meet John the mob boss. If he was half as crazy as Frank then Gerard was fucked. You don't become a mob boss because you shake hands and kiss babies. Ray began speaking about the logistics of the restaurant and where the exits were, a discussion Gerard wasn't much interested in. He closed his eyes and focused on the gentle touch of Frank rubbing his thumb on the top of Gerard's hand.

Gerard was pulled back into reality when Ray ended with "Are there any questions?" Everyone shook their heads. "Let's get ready to go" and with that, everyone stood up from the table.

Frank pulled Gerard back towards their room. Once inside, he had Gerard gently pushed up against the wall. "Don't be scared angel. Sit downs aren't meant to be violent, we just like to be prepared." Gerard nodded. "I'm going to shower then we'll get ready to go". They were meeting John and his men at 11p so they had a little time yet.

Once Frank closed the bathroom door behind him, Gerard slid down the wall and crumpled into a heap on the floor, sobbing silently. Everything was crashing down on him at once: his father's secret life, Frank's, everything. Before Frank could get out of the shower and hear him, Gerard calmed down. Wiping his face, he started undressing. Frank had left him skinny black jeans and a black smashing pumpkins shirt. Gerard smiled softly, it was one of the shirts Frank bought him on his second day here. Gerard took a deep breath. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.


	15. Chapter 15

Watching the men prepare for this meeting was fascinating. They dressed in suit coats and ties. You would think everyone was going to a wedding. There was a thick silence in the air as Frank tied his black tie and smooth the front of his button down shirt. He always made a point to look nice when he left the house, but sit downs were a whole different story.

You are sat at a table with your closest entourage and the same is for the opposing man. You can't use violence or weapons to get your point across, so you have to show your power and status symbol through how you dress. Suits and ties weren't mandatory but Frank required it. It shows elegance and class he would always say. That was one of the first rule of joining his "family", having a work suit and a sit down suit.

Frank would be accompanied by Ray, Brendon, Dallon, Bob, Pete, Patrick, and Andy. The rest of the men would be sitting in SUVs outside, fully armed and loaded in case things went sour. Frank could only imagine who John would bring. They were older gangsters. "Originals" they liked to be called. They practically wrote the rule book but that didn't make them any less cruel or violent. Frank and his ruffians were younger and more versed in the day to day operations outside, but they still respected the rules.

Frank caught Gerard staring as he buttoned up his suit coat and ran his fingers through his hair, slicking it back. Frank's suit fit like a dream, form hugging but not tight. Gerard was completely entranced and Frank smiled a little.

"Like what you see, Gee?" He asked playfully. Gerard's eyes snapped up to meet Frank's through the mirror and he blushed.

"Those, uh, just look really good ... nice pants" he said embarrassed to be caught checking out his boyfriends ass.

"Yeah? Maybe I'll let you take them off of me later" Frank smirked. Gerard didn't immediately respond so Frank finished up and walked over to where he was sitting on the bed.

"Have you thought about what we talked about?" Frank asked quietly as he lifted Gerard's face by his chin to look into his eyes.

"I have" Gerard dragged out. "I'm just not sure what I want yet" he whispered.

"Whether you come back with me or stay with him, that will never change my love for you" Frank whispered, running his thumb along Gerard's bottom lip. The urge to kiss him became too strong and he leaned down, connecting their lips. Gerard whined into it softly. He wanted Frank to just fling him back on that bed and have his way with him, but time wouldn't allow it.

Before the kiss could deepen too much and become too heated, Frank reluctantly pulled away, panting. Frank tucked a piece of hair behind Gerard's ear and cupped his face affectionately. He glanced at his watch and sighed. "Ready, baby?" He spoke. Gerard nodded slowly. Interlacing their fingers together, the two men walked out of the bedroom and down towards the entry way. 

There were about a dozen men standing around and chatting quietly as they waited for their boss, all of them dressed up. Once Frank and Gerard joined them, Frank nodded once towards Ray.

"Alright, you know the rules. Bryar, Stump, Wentz, Urie, Weekes and Hurley will be inside with me. No weapons, leave everything in the car. The rest of you will be spread out in three vehicles around the building. Nobody shoots or makes a move unless you hear shots. Understood?" All the men said yes in quiet unison.

"If anything should happen, Gerard needs to get to safety. If anyone is assassinated today it would be me, but I'll be damned if I let him become a casualty from our world" Frank spoke sternly. When Frank felt like everyone understood, he motioned for the front door, watching the men begin to file out. Never once did he loosen his grip on Gerard's hand, but Gerard didn't seem to mind because he was squeezing back just as hard.

Frank, Ray and Gerard were the last ones to walk out into the balmy night. Six black Cadillac SUVs were lined up in front of the house, the middle one left for the three men. Ray walked ahead to climb into the drivers seat while Frank ushered Gerard into the back, climbing in behind him.

The drive to the restaurant was silent and tense. Gerard was going back and forth with staying or leaving, he didn't even notice they had arrived. Scattered around the large parking lot were six or seven similar vehicles, vehicles Gerard recognized. His father was here.

Gerard's stomach flipped at the thought of seeing his dad again. The one man who raised him and loved him through everything. They were always so close and these last seven days being cut off from him hurt more than he thought it would. Frank must have sensed the sudden emotion because he hesitated until Gerard turned to him with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"I'm ready" he said. Frank smiled back and opened the door, his men following suit. Things were about to kick off and Frank prayed they stayed some what calm. He never gave a fuck about dying but losing one of his men always hurt. He cared about all of them.

The eight men going inside did one last check to make sure they weren't walking in with anything. Frank had heard of many sit downs that went array when one man forgot about a knife in their boot or a gun in their holster. It was seen as a deliberate malicious act and it cost a lot of people dearly. Frank swore he would never make a mistake like that.

After that final check was good, they all made their way to the front door of the building, Frank and Gerard at the back of the group, both men's hearts beating so fast it could probably be heard by everyone else.


	16. Chapter 16

The group was ushered down a long hall away from the main dining area. With it being this late at night there were hardly any patrons anyway but these sit downs were always held in a back room. The hall was so narrow the men had to walk two by two towards the room, with Frank and Gerard bringing up the rear. One last squeeze of Frank's hand and the door was pushed open.

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The last week of Johns life had been hell. Gerard was god knows where and it took every ounce of restraint in his body to not storm the Iero home and take Gerard back with force. But someone could get hurt, namely Gerard. He had to be patient.

His men told him Gerard seemed fine in the mall and while that was immense relief to see he wasn't being raped or beaten, it was confusing. There he was walking around essentially free but not coming back. John didn't want to believe Gerard was in on this situation, but he would definitely have to ask him when they got home.

This situation had scared John so much that he decided to move Gerard out of his apartment and back into the house. Gerard would be upset, yes, but at least John would know he was safe. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching the room. Lots of them. John took a deep breath. After all these years, sit downs were still the one thing that made him nervous.

The room wasn't very large but there was a large table in the middle lined with several chairs. There were no windows and only one entrance and exit. It was perfect for this. It was meant for working out conflict and discussions but many mobsters used set ups like this to assassinate their enemies without them even suspecting it coming. That's why both John and Frank were so nervous. John and his men sat on the other side of the table, facing the door and his heart leapt when the door handle turned.

Six unknown men came in, eyeing the room and the other men in it, before John saw Frank, pulling Gerard gently behind him. _Gerard_. Johns eyes got big as he looked at his son who looked perfectly healthy and mark free. He slowly stood and made his way around the table, not taking his eyes of Gerard for a second in fear that if he blinked Gerard would vanish. Gerard's eyes filled with tears as he dropped Frank's hand to make his way to his father.

John grabbed Gerard and pulled him in for a bone crushing hug, feeling his own tears threatening to pour out. He honestly never thought he would see his boy again and he was so fucking thankful right now. As Gerard sobbed into his chest, John looked over at Frank.

"Thank you" he whispered softly as one tear escaped down his cheek. Frank kept a solemn face and nodded once in understanding. He motioned for his men to sit down as he stood behind Gerard and waited.

John pulled Gerard's face out of his chest to look into his eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked shakily. "You aren't hurt or anything?" Gerard couldn't speak so he just shook his head and buried his face back in his fathers chest, no doubt getting his nice dress shirt wet. John didn't give a fuck about it. His son was back and he was alright.

"Don't worry Gee, I'll never let anything like this happen to you again" John spoke with conviction. Gerard took a shaky breath and pulled back to look at his father again.

"I know you won't, dad. But I want to live with Frankie".

Both John and Frank's eyes grew wide as they looked at each other, then back to Gerard.

"I love him".

John scoffed. "No Gee, you don't. It's called Stockholm's Syndrome and you just think you do." Gerard shook his head again.

"I knew Frank before this. I loved him before this. Frank is my boyfriend." Gerard wanted to be nervous with literally fifteen sets of eyes staring at him but he needed to do this. John slowly releases his vice grip from around his son and took a step back.

"You are in love with Frank Iero?" He asked in disbelief. "My ... my enemy?"

"I didn't know that, did I? You never told me about what you do, either of you. I had to find out about it in a violent way."

John stares between Frank and Gerard, not wanting to believe any of this. "You fucking prick" he spat out towards Frank. John stepped back towards Gerard but only had his eyes on Frank. Frank followed suit, effectively locking Gerard between the two men he loved.

"You probably did this on purpose" John gritted our. "Knew he was my son and wooed him to fall in love so you could take everything from me". Gerard was starting to get scared now. He never heard his dad speak in this manner. Gerard looked over at Frank as he watched a twisted smirk form on his face.

"I took everything from him too, just ask him how loud I had him screaming out my name this morning"

Gerard's eyes got wide and a blush spread across his face. "Frank stop" he spoke but no body heard it because suddenly Gerard was knocked aside as John had Frank pushed up against the wall with his forearm across his neck, cutting off his air supply. At no point did Frank's smirk falter.

"You're fucking lucky I'm not armed right now, Iero" John growled. Gerard regained his balance to run over and start pulling on his fathers arm.

"Stop! He can't breath!" Which was evident when Frank started turning purple.

"Gerard stop!" John yelled, making Gerard jump at the sheer volume. "You let some piece of shit take your most precious part?!"

Gerard shook his head as the tears started pouring out again.

"No. I gave it to him. Willingly."

"I don't fucking care" John growled turning back to Frank. Gerard felt so helpless at this moment. Frank's men began arguing with John's men and it became too much.

Gerard didn't even notice his feet pulling him towards the exit until he stepped outside on the concrete. If they were going to kill each other he didn't want to be there. The night breeze bit at his wet cheeks as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking down the street. He had no clue where he was or where he was even going but he needed to get away.

Gerard had made it a few blocks down the street before a black SUV slowed down along side him as a window was lowered.

"Hi beautiful" a voice spoke. Gerard ignored it and kept walking but the car still drove slowly along side him. "What's a gorgeous creature like you doing out at this time of night?" Gerard finally stopped and looked to see an unfamiliar vehicle with a man staring at him and smiling. He had long stringy black hair. "Can I at least give you a ride somewhere? There are a lot of bad men in this city". The stranger smiled. Gerard figured he was right, if he stayed out too much longer he would probably be mugged or kidnapped. When the stranger saw him step towards his car, his smile got bigger as he climbed out and let Gerard in.

The stranger climbed in behind him and rolled up the window as the began to drive away. "W-whats your name?" Gerard spoke softly, trying to hide his nerves.

"I'm Bert" the stranger said, smiling at the boy. The car took a left turn and began speeding up.

"I haven't told you where to go yet ... how do you know which direction to go?"

Bert smiled again, this time not sweet and soft. It was an evil smile.

"Remember when I said the city was full of bad men? We'll I'm one of them. You should never get into cars with strangers, sweetie" Bert spoke. Gerard turned to yank on the door handle when Bert spoke again. "I really wouldn't do that if I were you". He unzipped his leather jacket and showed Gerard the holster under his arm with what was no doubt a loaded gun inside it. "I don't want to have to use this".

Gerard's body began to shake in fear. There was absolutely no way he was going to magically end up at Frank or his fathers house with this man and he knew this was going to be bad. Gerard prayed someone would find him before he was hurt or killed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haaaa you thought it was over?! Not quite. We can't have a good Frerard story without Bert McCrakken as a villain. Disclaimer: I love Bert and The Used, buuuuut he does make a good story villain. So there ya go.


	17. Chapter 17

Within the hour, Gerard found himself in a tiny room at a strange warehouse where he was strapped to a wooden chair. He instantly thought of the man in Frank's basement and he was even more scared. Bert was sick of hearing Gerard's sobs so he had tape across his mouth.

"Let's go over this again" Bert spoke as he lit a cigarette and paced back and forth. "You are John Castelleneta's son." Gerard nodded. "And Frank Iero's boyfriend". Again he nodded. "Well lucky me, I just found the perfect person, haven't I?"

Gerard hung his head. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been to wander away from the restaurant, all those people who would have stopped this, prevented this. Maybe John and Frank would agree he was an idiot and let Bert do whatever he felt like before shooting him. Teach him a lesson.

Gerard was violently ripped from his thoughts when a smack to his cheek jerked his head to the right. "Are you even listening to me, whore?!" Bert screamed. Gerard wanted to spit the blood that was pooling in his mouth but the tape stopped him. Either Bert understood or was just being cruel, because he ripped the tape off.

"I want you to tell me everything about them" Bert growled. Gerard didn't respond and it caused another smack to the other cheek. He finally spit blood to the floor as he hung his head.

"I-I don't know a-anything. T-they didn't tell me a-anything" Gerard spoke. Bert grabbed a fist full of hair, lifting Gerard's gaze to meet his.

"That's horse shit" He gritted out. "You lived with one for years and sucked the others dick there is no way they didn't share anything with you".

Gerard shook his head weakly and whispered no. Bert narrowed his eyes as he left another smack across Gerard's cheek, this one harder than the last two.

"Maybe spending a few hours tied to this chair will jog your memory." Bert said as he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Gerard sat in the dark, bleeding and sobbing quietly.

————————————————————————

A fist fight was just about to break out before Ray yelled "wait, where is Gerard?" The men stopped and looked around hoping Gerard was sitting in the corner or something but he wasn't in the room anymore and the door cracked open a few inches confirmed this.

"Shit" Frank gritted out as he shoved John away from him and started towards the door. As the group of men poured onto the street, John and Frank looked around with wild eyes.

"Billie!" Frank yelled, seeing one of his lower ranking men standing outside of his car. "Have you seen Gerard?"

"Y-yeah, he went that way and was picked up by another SUV. I assumed John's men took him home". Frank and John shared a look of fear with each other before both men started barking orders to their soldiers.

"Load up! Gerard is missing!" Frank yelled.

"Nobody sleeps tonight until he is found" John shouted. 13 black SUVs went screeching out of the parking lot, headed in different directions, looking for the pale young man.

—————

It was hard to figure out how long Gerard had been there alone. There were no windows and it was dark. It could have been an hour it could have been four days. His stomach growled a little and he really wanted some water. Pulling on the duct tape restraining him he tried to find a weak point but once again, they were too strong to escape. Even if Gerard could get free he wouldn't be able to just walk out of this place. His chances of freedom were getting less and less likely and he slowly began to give up.

The door was pushed open and Gerard snapped his head up waiting for rescue but was greeted with the sickening smile of Bert.

"Hey Gee!" He said in a chipper tone. "I hope you don't mind if I call you Gee." Gerard didn't respond. "Remember anything yet?"

Gerard just shook his head weakly and tensed up waiting for a smack, but it never came, just a small chuckle.

"I have an idea. Let's call your boyfriend, I'm sure he doesn't care much that I have you but we should check in anyway" Bert spoke as he fished his phone out of his pocket. He put it on speaker and as it rang and he lit a cigarette.

"Iero" the voice at the other end spoke sternly. But it was a beautiful voice, Frank's voice.

"Hey Frankie!" Bert crooned. "How are you on this lovely night?"

"What the fuck do you want McCrakken?" Frank spoke through gritted teeth.

"I found something of yours that you may or may not want back. Just a stay little kitty" he looked at Gerard expecting him to yell or cry or make any noise to prove to Frank he was here, but he stayed silent. Growing impatient, Bert took the end of his cigarette and burned it onto Gerard's arm, causing him to yell out in pain

"There we go" Bert said. "Just wanted to show you I wasn't lying". The voice at the other end was silent for a long time.

"What do you want?" Frank said trying to keep his composure.

"I want your territory. And Johns. And I want to put a bullet in both of your heads. You fuck ups never took my father seriously but you'll damn sure take me seriously."

"And what if we refuse?"

"Then I put two bullets in Gee's head, the two that were meant for you guys. After I have some fun with him of course". Bert caressed Gerard's cheek and he shook his head trying to get away from the malicious touch.

"If you hurt one fucking hair on his head I swear to god..." Frank growled.

"He does have such a pretty mouth. I can see why you wanted to keep him." Bert interrupted. "We'll we're going to play, call me when you're ready to hand over your family". As Bert went to hang up, Frank spoke quickly.

"Stay strong Gee, I'll find yo-".

"Don't listen to promises he can't keep" Bert murmured. "By the time they _do_ find you, you will have already bled to death" and with that, Bert walked out again, leaving Gerard to replay Frank's words in his head.

_Stay strong, Gee, I'll find you_.


	18. Chapter 18

As the sun began to rise, it became clear they weren't going to find Gerard tonight. The men were getting sluggish and tired and even Frank had to admit it was time to stop. For now. The two families went their own directions and Frank found himself sitting in his dark den, the fireplace roaring as he sipped dark brandy from a crystal glass. He stared so intently into the fire that he didn't hear Jeanie come in and nearly jumped a foot when she spoke.

"You're going to find him" she said softly. Frank swirled the liquor in his glass before taking another drink.

"I can't help but think this is my fault" Frank spoke shakily. Besides Ray, Jeanie was the only one he could be 100% himself with. She had been the household care taker since he was a young child.

"That boy loves you. He would never blame you for any of this" Jeanie said.

"Perhaps not but he should". Jeanie squeezed his shoulder gently before leaving the den, closing the door softly behind her. She wasn't gone longer than a minute before his cell phone started ringing. He didn't recognize the number so normally he wouldn't answer but he was certain it had something to do with Gerard.

"Iero" he answered.

"Hey Frankie! How are you on this lovely night?" He recognized the distinctive voice of Bert McCrakken, the leader of a substantially smaller mafia family. They were rarely on Frank's radar.

"What the fuck do you want McCrakken?" Frank ground out.

"I found something of yours that you may or may not want back. Just a stray little kitty". Frank's heart dropped. He didn't want to believe that that sick fuck had Gerard but when he heard a pained yell he know it was true.

"Just wanted to show you I wasn't lying". Frank was stunned into silence.

"What do you want?" He finally spoke. He had an idea but wanted to hear it come out of Bert's mouth.

"I want your territory. And Johns. And I want to put a bullet in both of your heads. You fuck ups never took my father seriously but you'll damn sure take me seriously." Bert said in almost a sing song voice.

"And what if we refuse?"

"Then I put two bullets in Gee's head, the two that were meant for you guys. After I have some fun with him of course". Frank thought he was going to vomit. Bert was a man who stayed true to his word and it scared Frank.

"If you hurt one fucking hair on his head I swear to god..." Frank growled in desperation.

"He does have such a pretty mouth. I can see why you wanted to keep him. We'll we're going to play, call me when you're ready to hand over your family". Frank spoke quickly hoping Gerard would be able to hear him.

"Stay strong Gee, I'll find yo-". A beeping sound signaled the end of the call. Frank stood up breathing heavily.

"Motherfucker!" He yelled as he flung his glass, causing it to shatter against the mantle of the fireplace. "Motherfucker" he whispered again.

Gerard was in real trouble this time. He knew Bert wouldn't think twice about shooting him. The thing was, as cruel as Bert was, he was ultimately a fucking idiot. Frank knew where he did most of his business; in a old warehouse in the industrial part of town. Being stupid and reckless was a scary combination and Frank didn't want to wait. He dug his phone out of his pocket and punched in a number he thought he would never have to dial.

"Hello?" The raspy voice said at the other end.

"John? I know where Gerard is".

————————————————————————

Gerard didn't remember falling asleep but something about Frank's promise made him feel warm inside. Suddenly rough hands were gripping his arms and pulling him to his feet. He legs were woozy from sitting up straight for so long but the men grabbing him didn't seem to care much as they all but dragged him out of the room and into another one, where a large table was set up with linen and tableware.

There were two seats across the table from each other and Bert was already sat at one, eating. "Hey Gee. I figured you might be getting hungry" he said as he motioned for the men to bring him to the table. This room had windows and Gerard could see it was light out but he couldn't tell what time of day it was. Looking back to the table it had plates of chicken and steak. Gerard's stomach gurgled violently at the sight and the sound made Bert smile.

"Eat up, I don't need you starving to death before we even get a chance to really get to know each other" Bert smiled as he took a drink from his cup. Gerard wanted to ignore him, pretend like he didn't see the food in front of him. But his hunger pangs made that impossible. So he settled on eating one bite, which turned into two, then three. Eventually Gerard had grabbed the entire chicken leg and began to devour it like a rabid dog.

Bert felt on top of the world. He was effectively breaking this beautiful boy and in the process he would break two of the biggest mob bosses in the city. His chest was bursting with pride at that thought. After he deemed Gerard sufficiently full, he instructed his men to take him back to his room. The chair was still there, but a cot had also been brought in with a wool blanket. Gerard was mildly appreciative that he wouldn't be sat in that chair anymore, but this meant Bert intended him to stay for a while.

Gerard slunk onto the cot and curled up under the scratchy blanket. After several minutes of silence, he fell apart, sobbing softly into his arms. The only thing he wanted to do was think about what should have been. An alternate life. One where Frank shook his fathers hand when they met. John cooked his famous pasta and went on and on about how Gerard was as a baby. They would walk through the house as Gerard showed off pieces of his art that adorned their walls while trying to avoid the embarrassing childhood pictures. The night would end with Frank promising John he would care for and respect Gerard.

Despite everything, a soft smile swept across Gerard's face when he envisioned this. The perfect life with his perfect boyfriend and father.


	19. Chapter 19

Again, Gerard didn't know he had drifted off to sleep until a rough grab of his hip from behind stirred him awake. For a brief, blissful moment, he imagined Frank and smiled softly, until the person behind him sighed, sending over a scent of cheap cigarettes and alcohol. That couldn't have been Frank.

Gerard nearly jumped a foot when he cranes his neck to see Bert sliding in behind him. Clawing at Bert's hands to get away, Gerard started to panic.

"You can fight all you want sweetheart but you don't have anywhere to go" Bert said in a husky voice.

Realizing that Bert was stronger than him and was forcing his body between Bert's and the wall, Gerard tried to claw his way out. It didn't take long for him to realize he probably wouldn't win in this situation. Tears stung his eyes at the thought of what was going to happen.

"Just relax sweetheart, you'll enjoy this" Bert breathed out against the back of Gerard's neck as he moved his hands from his hips to the front of Gerard's jeans, unbuttoning and yanking then down roughly.

His jeans and boxers bunched around his thighs but Bert didn't seem to care much. He grabbed Gerard's right ass cheek roughly while humming in approval.

"P-p-please stop. Please!" Gerard sobbed, trying to will his frozen body to move or do really anything. It was as if Bert didn't hear him because his calloused fingers reached around to grab at Gerard's member. Stroking it back and forth roughly, Gerard yelped in surprise. The sudden action sent a jolt of adrenaline through his veins as he swung his elbow, smashing it into Bert's nose, hard. While Bert yelled in pain and clutched the gushing part of his face, Gerard took his chance to leap off the bed. Standing away from the cot, he was shaking like a leaf.

"You little fuck!" Bert tried to yell but it came muffled through his cupped hands.

"I-I told you to stop" Gerard said in a shaky voice. Just then the door burst open, showing what could only be described as a sad looking scene: Bert trying to climb off the shabby cot with undeniably a broken nose, and Gerard standing in the corner with his pants around his thighs. Gerard closed his eyes and waited for the searing pain of a bullet that was sure to come.

————————————————————————

It was nightfall when the mafia convoy finally made their way towards the warehouse. Frank wanted to go right away but Ray insisted they wait and use the cover or darkness to their benefit. Brendon was instructed to go further ahead and knock out any look outs. That was his expertise: sniping. The rest of the cars would wait a mile down the road until Brendon came back or signaled for back up.

The plan was to go in as quiet as possible. Frank wanted to storm in and make as much of a ruckus as he could but John made a point to go in quietly. Take out as many men as possible before Bert learned they were there. He knew they would come, how could he not. He had the one person most important to both men.

John and Frank were seated in a car together which Frank was instantly hating. How was John so cool and collected when Gee was probably being beaten or worse. Frank was fidgeting so much sitting and waiting that he finally had to sit on his hands.

After what seemed like forever, a figure began making its way towards the car. Frank would be nervous but a hostile wouldn't casually walk up to their car. Rolling down the window, Brendon removed his black beanie and face mask.

"I took two lookouts out" he whispered. "Everyone else appears to be inside or dug down".

"It's time" John said with authority. They would drive much closer to the warehouse. The last 50 yards or so they would walk and sneak attack. The lower ranking men would go through the three entrances first, taking out lower ranking McCrakken men. The rest of the men would fan out and take out any body else they may pass. John, his right hand man Mark, Frank and Ray would head up to the second floor to find Gerard.

Whether Bert lived or died during this raid didn't matter much to Frank, he just hoped to be the one to give the final blow. Parking the cars, over 20 men dressed in black and Kevlar, armed to the teeth began making their way towards the entrance. Stopping only briefly to listen out, it was quiet. Either they were expecting a raid and ready to fire, or they weren't expecting a thing.

The moment the door was kicked open, all hell broke loose. Being tangled in with the men, Frank and John had to wait a minute or two for the front line to clear out so they could push in. It didn't take long, and Frank was able to determine that no, they weren't expecting anything like this tonight.

Red began staining the cement floor of the warehouse as McCrakkrens men were slowly picked off. Seeing a set of rickety steps, John grabbed Frank's shoulder and pointed.

"Let's go!" Frank yelled over the chaos. Both men broke out of the pack that was heavily weighed in Frank and John's favor, as they made their way up the wooden steps. Once on top there were about five men they had to shoot before being able to get too much deeper.

The building was a confusing maze. The outside and main area looked almost like an abandoned warehouse, but upstairs was recently reframed to allot for rooms. They weren't nice by any means but it was odd to have this area remodeled.

"Which room?" Frank panted, seeing several closed doors.

"Not sure. Start kicking open doors until you find him" John growled. They did exactly that, kick in doors until they swung open. It's not like they probably needed too, these didn't look much like lockable doors but Frank felt better anyway. It was the third door Frank got to when he saw it: Gerard.

Fuck. He was almost half naked, his eyes and face black and blue with dried stains of blood. He looked absolutely terrified and Frank's heart sank thinking he was too late. To Frank's left was Bert with bloody hands and eyes that were already starting to swell. Frank didn't need to think twice before grabbing a fist full of Bert's hair and shoving the barrel of his gun under Bert's chin.

"You should have fucking known better. You should have known I'd come in and bring you down in a hail of bullets" Frank gritted through his teeth.

"So much chaos for one slut" Bert chuckled dryly. He knew he was done for, might as well go out with a bang.

It took every ounce of restraint in his body not to pull the trigger right then and there. But he knew he and John would have more fun with Bert back in Frank's basement. The hands of Mark and Ray came up beside Frank, grabbing Bert roughly as he started to shout, finally grasping the realization that he was losing.

"Let's go, you piece of shit" Ray murmured as both men all but dragged Bert out of the room and out of the building.

Frank looked back at Gerard, trying not to wince at his painful looking appearance. Stuffing his gun into his holster, he took a tentative step forward.

"Gee" he whispered. "It's alright, come on". Gerard looked shocked, almost like this wasn't real. Frank took another step forward, almost close enough to touch Gerard's face, which is really what he wanted to do.

It was like something that had snapped and Gerard fell into Frank's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Frank reached down and pulled Gerard's pants back up before comforting the boy.

"Shhhhh it's ok" he whispered as he lifted Gerard bridal style. Frank may have been shorter but hell was he strong. He carried Gerard all the way back to the car. Only a few minutes into the drive, Gerard fell asleep, feeling finally safe for the first time in days.


	20. Chapter 20

Gerard yawned and stretched out in bed like a cat. He was pretty sore and still tasted blood, but the sheets and the pillow he laid on were soft so he didn't need to open his eyes to know he was safe. When he stretched his arm to reach for Frank, nothing was there. Using the little bit of energy he had left, Gerard opened his eyes and was dumbfounded.

He was in his own bedroom at his dads house. Sitting up slightly and wincing a little in pain, he looked around. The room was a little dark but from the window he could tell it was daylight. There was a chair pulled up to the side of the bed but nobody was in it. He sat around, confused, before he heard soft footsteps approaching the bedroom.

Frank walked in, trying to keep quiet. He must have assumed Gerard was still asleep and didn't want to wake him. He made his way to the side of the bed and gently sat a glass of water down when he noticed Gerard was awake.

"Hey Gee ... I'm sorry I wasn't trying to wake you" he spoke softly, trying not to visibly wince at Gerard's injured face.

"You didn't" Gerard said in a raspy voice. "How long have I been asleep?" Frank sat down in the chair by the bed.

"Almost two days. You must have been exhausted". They fell into a somewhat uncomfortable silence until Gerard spoke again.

"Why am I back here? Why did you take me back to your house?" Frank looked guilty.

"Your dad and I ... we decided it was best for you to be here to heal." Gerard nodded in understanding. Another tense silence fell on the couple. Frank seemed to distant, so scared even.

"What happened to Bert?" Gerard asked. Frank tried to bite back the smug grin threatening to show on his face.

"Bert has been ... dealt with. Don't worry about him" Frank replied curtly.

"He didn't ... um hurt me... in that way" Gerard felt compelled to say.

"I know" Frank said. "He said that over and over again".

"Will you please sit with me? Hold me?" Gerard asked, wanting to feel comforted by his lover.

"I think it's best if I stay over here, not exacerbate any of your injuries". Gerard didn't understand. Normally Frank was very physical and affectionate yet he wouldn't even get closer than a foot right now.

"Did you hear what I said to my father? I want to live with you" Gerard tried changing the subject.

"I heard, Gee" Frank said, running his fingers through his hair. He didn't share the smile or happiness that Gerard had, and Gerard's heart started to sink.

"What's wrong Frank?" Gerard asked softly, terrified of his response. After hesitating a few moments, Frank spoke up.

"Gerard, I love you with every part of me. But for the first 20 years of your life, your dad kept you safe. You're with me a week and you end up kidnapped twice."

"But I'm okay" Gerard tried to reason. "I'm okay".

"You are this time, Gee, but what if this happens again? What if I don't get there in time? I could never live with myself knowing you were hurt essentially because of me".

"But I walked out of the restaurant, I put myself in Bert's car, that wasn't your fault".

"You would have never been there to begin with had you not been kidnapped the first time. If I had made you go home right away. It is my fault, Gee" Frank spoke softly.

"Let's just try, let's try to work this through because I don't care if I'm kidnapped once a week for the rest of my life, I still love you" Gerard pleaded as his eyes filled with tears. Frank sighed heavily.

"Gerard I'm going to leave here in a few minutes ... but you won't be coming with me. I'm dangerous and only cause people pain. It's all I know how to do."

Gerard began to sob quietly at what Frank was saying. Frank tried to keep his composure, even though it was literally killing him.

"The last year has been the best year of my life and I'll always carry you in my heart. But that's because you're safe there. These last few days of me being worried sick had me realizing I can't have love in this life. It's not possible. I'm not ... I'm not strong enough to lose you so I have to let you go". Frank moved from the chair to the side of the bed to wipe Gerard's tears. "You're wonderful, and you're going to find an equally wonderful man that will love you and keep you safe and warm. He will be able to give you all the things that I can't. I've only brought you pain".

"B-b-but I don't want you to go, Frank please, I love you". Frank wanted to drop all his walls that he spent the last twenty hours building so he would be able to do this. But the bruises and busted lip on Gerard's face helped him hold strong.

"I love you Gee. Please take care of yourself" Frank said gently as he tucked a strand of hair behind Gerard's ear. With that he stood up and walked out, refusing to turn around and look one last time at the boy he loves with the worst injury he could inflict: a broken heart.

John stood in the entryway when Frank reached the bottom of the steps. They had discussed Frank breaking up with Gerard because John agreed that Frank was too dangerous. They also discussed that John truly didn't have any part in the theft of Frank's goods and that both John and Frank would penalize Ramon, the man responsible as soon as they found him.

The two exchanged no words, only one stiff handshake. A handshake that said everything they couldn't speak at that moment. Frank turned and walked out the front door towards his waiting car. A light rain had started and he thought it was very appropriate considering how dark his heart felt. But he honestly thought Gerard would be better off. He would only get hurt with Frank. As the car drove away, Frank promised himself one thing: focus on the family and the business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, In a Hail of Bullets is done. I'm sorry about the shitty sad ending, but I always knew this would happen. The good news is that I have written a sequel. like i stated before, it's already all done i just have to take the time to move it. Also ive had some people say they had trouble finding me on Wattpad. try this link: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AspynEmmilie 😍💕


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